


Cornucopia of Hope

by rocknrollalien



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Multi, borrowing the premise but that's it from dangan ronpa, entirely OC based killing game, mutual-killing game, no canon characters, no prior knowledge required
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-05-04 07:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 42
Words: 225,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14587812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocknrollalien/pseuds/rocknrollalien
Summary: The graduating class of Hope's Peak Academy is kidnapped, sometime after their graduation, and placed into a beautiful mansion called only Our Mansion of Plenty. They are held there by steel plates on doors and windows, as well as a malevolent robot fairy creature who calls itself The Fey. While being kidnapped is already a pretty big problem, this annoying fairy brat is telling them to kill each other.But nobody would do that. Right?[Cornucopia of Hope is a non-canon killing game that borrows the premise of Dangan Ronpa, but that's just about it. There are no spoilers for the canon games, as well as no prior knowledge required to read this fic!]CURRENT STATUS:Chapter Four: Phoenix (Trial)Join the Discord Server





	1. Prologue: All Is Not Lost (1)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Before we get started, I'd like to say that Cornucopia of Hope (CoH or CornHope for short) is planned to be a visual novel! I have a programmer and artist on staff (meaning they're my friends and I love them very much). Here's a guide for how to read the script, if you're new to the genre!
>
>> **Character Name:** This is me talking. _[Cartwheeling.]_ That was a stage direction.
>> 
>> _This is internal monologue and narration!_
>> 
>> //This is description that will eventually be entirely visual, but for the purposes of this fangan, will be written out! 
> 
> I'm posting this on AO3 in the hopes of getting feedback on this before it gets integrated into the tech! This serves as a first draft, and if you have any thoughts at all (even negative ones!) it would be really valuable for me to hear them. That said, I do hope you like it :) 

_Hope’s Peak Academy. The largest, possibly most impressive school in the country--potentially the world. A bastion of hope and optimism in the cruel every-day world, the Academy and the government have worked together to invite only the most hyper-skilled of teenagers throughout the nation._

_This school isn’t in pamphlets; your parents don’t sit you down to discuss applying here. You’re invited by the Academy or you don’t go is how the story goes. You super-excel in your field of study or athleticism, or...well, you have to figure out some other incredible school that’s meant to guarantee success upon graduation._

_Speaking of which…_

//CG: A group of teenagers, maybe including our cast or maybe extras, do what feels right, in graduation caps and gowns. This can be blurry, with a nostalgic or overwhelming feel to it rather than in any detail

_I can’t believe I get to be here for this. It’s time for us to spread our wings and fly, with the guaranteed success the institution offers. I’ve always wondered if that was based off of the name of the Academy or the education it provides but...I guess I’ll find out soon enough._

_The ceremony is over. It’s time to walk through the doors of the Academy and leave forever. It’s time to start life, for real now. I can’t believe it’s over…_

//CG: A shot of Shuji and a friend walking toward the door, not in graduation gowns, arms over each other’s shoulders, laughing. Light is pouring through the door they’re about to exit.

_I can’t believe it’s over…_

__

**_Prologue: All Is Not Lost_ **

…

…..

……...

 **SHUJI:** Wow, the afterparty must’ve kicked my ass…

_I clutch my head to try to counter the dull throbbing sensation._

**SHUJI:** I don’t even...remember it…

_I get to my feet and check out the other people in the room. Some punk looking kid is with a secretary-type checking out a really fancy door, and behind me is a terrified looking trendy-type on the stairs. I feel like I should recognize these people but..._

**ROXXY** : Wow! You aren’t like, dead! I kinda thought you might be dead but Soga-chan, bless his heart, noticed that you’re breathing and stuff. So, not dead! But now you’re also awake!

_I look at the new girl blankly, a faint memory stirring in the back of my head. She’s familiar to me, certainly, but I have no idea who she is. I’m so sluggish, I’m actually starting to get concerned._

**SHUJI:** _[Nervous]_ Awake, definitely. Not dead?

_I shrug meaningfully._

**SHUJI:** I’m not so sure yet, actually.

 **ROXXY:** Oh! You’re funny! Say, sleepyhead, do you know where we are?

 **SHUJI:** Where we...what? What do you mean by that?

 **YUI:** _[Looking_ _over her shoulder]_ Rose-san means that we all woke up here, just like you, with a bad headache and no memory of arriving here. The front door is locked and the windows are barred. It’s a matter of...Some concern.

_I look around the room for the first time, really. It’s obviously nice digs, but those thick iron plates on the windows are not giving me a good feeling about all of this._

**SHUJI:** So...we were kidnapped?

 **ISEI:** Seems that way.

 **YUI:** We are, after all, high profile people. Recent graduates of Hope’s Peak must have hefty ransom prices, wouldn’t you say?

 **ROXXY:** [ _Crossed arms with pout]_ Well aren’t you all a bunch of paranoids? You’re gonna scare people talking like that! This is obviously just a HPA prank. [ _Looking down with smile._ ] Classic HPA…

 **ALENA** : I don’t remember any pranks while I was in school…

_This is the first time I’ve heard the girl speak, to my recollection, but she has a point. And she looks like she’s about to cry. I may not know what’s going on, but I can at least try to help her out._

**SHUJI:** That’s...actually a good point. Are we all the graduating class? I don’t...actually know any of you.

 **ISEI:** I recognize you.

 **SHUJI:** No, no, I recognize you too, it’s just...I don’t know any of your names, or what your talents are, or have anything beyond the faintest recollection that I _should_ know you.

 **YUI:** I’m afraid I’m in the same boat. I know certain things about myself; I’m a graduate of Hope’s Peak Academy, I am the Super High School Level Personal Assistant, and my name is Yui Suzuki. I know I’ve been attending the Academy for three years. I just… _[Sharp frown.]_

_She pauses._

**YUI:** Don’t remember any of those years.

 **ISEI:** Do you believe that something’s amiss yet, Rose-san?

_Roxxy shakes her head._

**ROXXY:** [ _Pouting.]_ So what? Maybe the school is doing some post-graduation bonding event. We have to do a scavenger hunt to find the clues that’ll unlock our memories. [ _She gestures emphatically._ ] The school is like, swimming in cash! Of course they can do some wacky nonsense to our brains for fun!

 **ISEI:** Does a token of caution really do any harm, though? Say you’re right, and the school is doing some mind game with us. What’s the worst that can happen if we think something bigger is going on?

_She looks genuinely hung up on that question, biting her lip before she answers._

**ROXXY:** You’ll scare people.

_She has a point, too. I’m not sure I buy the “wacky brain nonsense” bit, but looking at the girl near the plants...maybe it’s best we keep our worries to ourselves._

**SHUJI:** Hey, what’s your name?

 **ROXXY:** _[Shocked.]_ Me?

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, you. I don’t know about this scavenger hunt, but we might as well start with introductions. My name is Shuji Saji and I’m the Super High School Level…

_Uhh...that’s a good question. What IS my skill? I wrack my brain trying to find the answer, but I’m at a loss. I trail off, trying to remember, but she doesn’t wait for me to fill in an answer._

**ROXXY:** That’s a super idea, Saji-chan! My name is Roxxanne Rose, and I’m the Ultra-Amazing-Fantastical Stage Magician. Roxxy for short, if you wanna be friendly!

_While I can’t remember having officially met her before (though I must have, right?), I do know a little bit about that name. Before five years ago, nobody cared about magicians. It was a birthday party thing for rich kids, but little else. Roxxy Rose brought magic into the mainstream--everyone’s seen bootleg recordings of her shows. It explains why she seems so much more familiar to me than the rest._

**SHUJI:** It’s nice to meet you, Roxxy-san. Say, why don’t you go try to find those memory clues? If you’re right, you can get back to us and let us know what we’re doing here.

 **ROXXY:** Hmm, well, I would, but that sounds pretty patronizing. Actually, I will anyway, not because you told me to but because it’s a good idea and I _am_ right, so you’ll see in a bit.

_Roxxy leaves, her shoes clacking loudly on the tile._

**YUI:** I believe I already introduced myself, but I shall again. People often forget the names of _The Help_ , as it turns out. My name is Yui Suzuki, and I am the Personal Assistant.  


_My memories of her are more elusive. I guess I can be held responsible for being up to date on pop culture, but I don’t know about assistants very much...I feel bad for not knowing more. Perhaps seeing the confusion on my face, the punk rocker steps in._

**ISEI:** Suzuki-san is famous for personally assisting loads of difficult to manage people. Am I getting that right? I think I heard about you winning an award for it, too.

 **YUI:** Some difficult to manage people, yes. I am most notable, I believe, for assisting the Katayama family. It is loyalty for which I am famous, in addition to my skill.

 **SHUJI:** Oh! That sounds pretty impressive. I’m sorry I wasn’t familiar with your work.

 **YUI:** I recognize your face, but I don’t remember your skill at all. Would you mind divulging that information?

_Mild panic sets in. Everyone else seems to remember their title; I’m pretty worried about being the only one left out. Should I keep it a secret that I’ve forgotten? What if that somehow implicates me? I’m probably being paranoid but…_

__

**SHUJI** : _[Nervous laugh.]_  Don’t you think it’s better to guess?

_What a weak cover up!_

**YUI:** Hmph.

_She turns back to the door, tracing the stained glass insert with her fingers._

_I don’t think she bought it. Oh well, she’s not pressing further so I guess I’ll count my blessings._

**ISEI:** I’m Isei Soga, Biographer. I’ve talked to a handful of the others, and we all do seem to be from the same class, if that helps.

_I’m not as big of a reader as I used to be, but I recognize the name Soga. It’s in the front window of every bookstore in Tokyo, attached to books about criminals and other notable figures. But mostly criminals. With his sense of fashion that’s...a little scary. Still, he seems nice enough…?_

**SHUJI:** Well, it sounds like something! A clue, maybe?

 **ISEI** : _[Thoughtful.]_ Hmm. Yeah. Maybe. I’m gonna go find the others, ask ‘em some questions and see if anybody knows what’s going on.

 **YUI** : I’ll follow. I’m sure Kyo has an idea or two of how to solve this problem.

_It doesn’t occur to me to ask who ‘Kyo’ is until both of them have left the room. Now it’s just me and the frightened looking girl._

_It looks like she’s pretending she can’t see me...Better go about this gently._

**SHUJI** : Hey, I don’t think I caught your name.

 **ALENA** : Alena.

 **SHUJI** : Alena? Is that a surname? You don’t look Japanese.

 **ALENA** : I’m...I’m Greek. Alena Agyros. Given name-surname.

_An uncomfortable pause._

**SHUJI** : So...you like plants?

_[Alena stares.]_

_Smooth talker, that’s me. She looks like I just said something rude. I’m at a loss here._

**ALENA** : Yeah...I like plants. I’m the Super High School Level Urban Gardener.

__

_I’ve actually heard quite a bit about her. The gardener who was about to change the world--sustainable at-home urban gardening for the poor? It was incredible. I think everyone in the city had tried some of her tricks, even if they were watered down a bit. She’s a genius for plants._

**SHUJI** : Oh, I’ve heard of you! I mean, I guess we had class together but since none of us can remember that…

 **ALENA:** You’ve heard of me? Hmm.

 **SHUJI:** All good things, of course!

 **ALENA:**...Of course…

_This conversation feels like a dead-end. Still, I can’t just leave her alone in here._

**SHUJI:** Do you have any idea what’s going on here?

_It seems like the only conversation starter anyone’s gonna be using today, but it works._

**ALENA:** ...No.

 **SHUJI:** ...Oh…

_Another long pause. I’m starting to get discouraged; I can feel myself deflating in the face of her silence. Ultimately, though, she relents._

**ALENA:** I was looking at the plants, seeing if I could figure out where we were based on them. [ _She shrugs._ ] They’re just peace lilies, though. They’re pretty common all over the world, so I’m not even sure we’re still in Japan...Beautiful, though…

 **SHUJI:** Wow! I mean, you didn’t learn a lot from them, but you thought to look and that’s smarter than I’m being right now.

_We both smile at each other; although her smile is nervous and mine borders on prideful._

_She’s just shy. I think everybody can understand that._

//LANI comes rushing in

 **LANI:** Oof! Soga-kun said you’d woken up! What are you two doing in here all by yourselves?

 **SHUJI:** Talking about plants, mostly. Who are you, by the way?

 **LANI:** _[Proud, hands on hips, grin]_ Pi’lani Ozaki, Solar Technician Extraordinaire! Man, that intro never gets old. At home, folks call me Lani!  


_I may not watch the news every day, but I’d have to live under a rock not to remember the Pi’Lani Ozaki that rushed from the US to restabilize the power grid after a major nuclear power plant melted down. He’s brought solar power to lots of low-income neighborhoods in Japan, and has stayed around since the meltdown to make sure that kind of thing doesn’t happen again._

**LANI:** You’re Saji-kun, right? And...Agyros-chan? I went to find you since you two are the only ones left in the foyer.

_Alena looks like a deer in headlights. She’s holding onto the leaves of one of those lilies like her life depends on it. I think it’s time to step in._

**SHUJI:** Yeah, that’s us! Agyros-san was looking at the plants to see if we could learn anything about where we are.

 **LANI:** Oh, that’s wicked! Any luck?

 **ALENA:** Nope.

 **LANI:** Whoa, your accent! Are you American?

 **ALENA:** ...Greek. Lived in Los Angeles for some time.

 **LANI:** We’ve got a world traveler on our hands, then! I’m from Kahului.

_[Blank expressions for Alena and Shuji]_

**LANI:** Maui.

_Alena nods slowly, but I’m still not sure how to react._

**LANI:** I speak English a little better than I do Japanese, what about you?

 **ALENA:** …

_Lani switches to English, and I can only catch a couple of words._

**LANI:** [I’m half Japanese though, so it wasn’t too hard to learn.]

 **ALENA:** Oh...okay…

_Alena seems uncomfortable (though, does she ever seem anything else?) and I didn’t understand what he said, so I try to switch the conversation back to Japanese._

**SHUJI:** So why did you want to gather us? Did Roxxy-san find a clue?

 **LANI:** Well, maybe, we--

_He’s interrupted by an electronic squeal that turns from just noise into laughter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logo credit goes to Rilie (@kisikil on twitter) and all other art credit goes to Jonah (@JonahJonahArt on twitter)!


	2. Prologue: All Is Not Lost (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rules of the game are made clear by a representative of The Host, whoever that is. Part one of exploration and chaotic introductions followed by some that are easier to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fair warning, this chapter starts out fairly chaotic! It's intentional. If you don't know who the characters are yet; don't worry, you're not supposed to. Keep truckin' and you'll be rewarded with some character introductions that you can actually parse and remember!!

_A two foot tall...uh...fairy? Appears by the front door, checking a clipboard idly. She’s obnoxiously pink, with a face made up of a screen of some kind depicting a simplistic face. There are black wings beating slowly to keep her afloat, and she has long grey ears fitted with a headset._

**THE FEY:** Attention all Hope’s Peak Academy graduates in Our Mansion of Plenty. Ahem. Please gather in the entryway for a very special announcement relating to your fate and future. This is not a test. Arrive as quickly as you can.

_Alena, Lani and I watch her appear and speak into her headset, mouths ajar. She looks mechanical, but her movements are so advanced. This can’t be real...can it? Maybe Roxxy was right about this being some crazy gimmick or game…_

_The others come in slowly, some I recognize and others I don’t. A few people look scared, most look confused. Roxxy is an outlier, looking smug as if this proves that HPA was playing a prank on us._

**MIKI:** Okay, we’re here. I don’t give a single rat shit about this hide and seek memory game, or kidnapping, or whatever the _fuck_ is going on here. You’d better let us out, now.

 **FUMI:** That’s not funny. You shouldn’t talk like that when we don’t know what’s going on.

 **ISEI:** Kid, shut the hell up. Don’t antagonize it.

 **BO:** Is nobody else seeing this robot? This is so cool!

 **AIKA:** I’m usually up for mind games, no matter the consequences, but this strikes me as...hmm...tacky.

 **PV:** Is anyone gonna shut up and let the robot do its talking? Maybe an explanation is at hand, no?

_Everyone’s scrambling to get their voice heard, but the robot is just...hovering there. Her wings are flapping enough to keep her airborne, but...this is uncanny. I’m tempted to pinch myself to make sure I’m really awake, but I’m not about to lean into cliches like that just yet._

**THE FEY:** Are you done yet?

 **MIKI:** Ex-fucking-scuse me?

 **THE FEY:** Are. You. Done?

 **MIKI** : Oh brother, you haven’t heard the _first_ of it yet! Let us out of here or I’ll strangle you!

 **KATHERINE:** _[Almost smiling.]_ You don’t look strong enough to strangle anybody, much less someone made of steel.

 **MIKI:** Let me have my angry metaphors, please.

 **ISEI:** Kid! Seriously! Shut the hell up or you’re gonna get stabbed by a fuckin’ robot and nobody here is gonna stop it.

 **PV:** Everybody! Shut up and let it talk so we can get out of here!

_A moment of tense silence, but the pink headed kid looks like they’re about ready to pop. They open their mouth to say something, but The Fey interrupts._

**THE FEY:** I am your Host--or rather, a representative of your Host--and I am SO glad you all finally came out here! It was such a hassle getting you all in the same location, at the same time, with the same slightly invasive surgeries to ensure everything goes according to plan!

_Everyone, myself included, looks horrified._

**THE FEY:** Just kidding! Probably. You’ll see. Anyway, you’ll find that you’re all here for a reason! No twist of fate or chance has placed any of you here today; I know everything about you and I know exactly what you deserve.

 **ALENA** : What we deserve…?

 **THE FEY:** You will live here. In Our Mansion of Plenty. Until you die.

 **KYO:** Unless a ransom is paid, I’m guessing.

 **THE FEY:** A ransom? Don’t be ridiculous. I told you it’s about what you _deserve_ you silly brats! You’re going to be here. Until you die.

 **KATA:** You genuinely expect us to believe you can keep 17 of the most high profile young adults in the nation in some hokey mansion for the next 70 years?

 **THE FEY** : Oh, you expect to live quite a long time, don’t you? A bit unrealistic, doncha think?

 **HEIJI:** Hey man, I can’t speak for everyone else here but I live a pretty healthy lifestyle. I’m living to 117 if I keep goin’ the way I’m goin’.

 **THE FEY:** Not if you’re murdered.

 **NORIKO:** This really isn’t funny.

 **MASANORI:** No fucking kidding this isn’t funny. This is a threat. The gremlin’s gonna kill us. I guess. Fantastic.

 **THE FEY:** I’m not going to kill you. You are.

 **MASANORI:** Oh, suicide baiting? Cute. Really.

 **KATA:** You’re missing the point. You’ve got us trapped for now, sure, but we’re important people. A group this big doesn’t go missing without alerting people, and any one of us is going to be cause for search.

 **THE FEY:** No, _you’re_ missing the point, kiddo!

_The Fey looks vicious now, maybe angry that people aren’t listening like it thinks they should be._

**THE FEY:** You’re not going to get rescued, or found, or escaped. You’re going to die in here, and you’re going to die young. You’re going to die! Die! Die! Because you are going to kill each other!

_A pause, during which nobody clamors for attention for the first time since The Fey appeared. Alena looks like she’s on the verge of tears, and I unconsciously step in front of her to stand between her and the malicious robot._

**AIKA:** Interesting approach, but ultimately?

_She pauses, taking a long drag on her cigarette, and dusts the ashes onto the otherwise spotlessly clean floor._

**AIKA:** We have no reason to do what you say, or believe that you have any power over us.

 **THE FEY:** You can believe whatever you want, super-brat, it doesn’t change reality.

 **ROXXY:** Yeah, duh, and the reality is that this is a total psychological prank done by the school! It’s probably some morality test--

 **AIKA:** Such as the Stanford Prison Experiment.

 **ROXXY:** Uh, yeah...that, sure. But I sure as hell didn’t sign a consent waiver, so this is completely bogus. My mom’s got lawyers, and I’ll be talking to her to talk to them! In the meantime…

_Roxxy steps toward The Fey and picks her up, turning her over curiously and tossing her from hand to hand._

**THE FEY:** Hey! Put me down or you’ll regret it!

 **ROXXY:** Wow, she’s weirdly light for being made of metal. Maybe she’s plastic?

 **THE FEY:** I’m warning you! Violence against your Host is strictly forbidden!

 **ROXXY:** I wonder if there’s a back panel I can open or something...Anybody got a screwdriver?

_She fiddles with The Fey for a moment, who goes limp._

**MASANORI:** She stopped moving, you probably broke her.

 **THE FEY:** Beep...beep...beep…

 **KYO:** I don’t like the sound of that…

 **THE FEY:** Initiating a test of our emergency anti-meddling measures...5...4...

 **ISEI:** That sounds really bad. Drop it!

 **THE FEY:** 3...2...

 **ROXXY:** What? Why?

 **ISEI:** Just do it, for the love of god!

 _Roxxy drop kicks The Fey into the air, where she becomes tangled in the chandelier. There’s a resounding_ BOOM _as the robot erupts into a blazing inferno, bits of Fey flying out as the chandelier itself crashes to the ground._

_A girl in pink shrieks as it falls on top of her, collapsing into the floor under the weight of it. There are more screams that follow; of fear, or of shock, or simply of confusion. Some people, myself included, step forward to try to help, but stall, not knowing what to do. Others, like Alena, shrink back in terror from the crash and boom._

_The only person who reacts sensibly is Roxxy, who slides toward the injured girl on her knees and pulls the wreckage off of her. A boy rushes in shortly after, holding the girl’s face and making sure she’s okay._

_There are murmurs of shock and dismay, but they die down as the girl gets to her feet, leaning slightly on both Roxxy and the boy._

_Someone coughs due to the smoke and dust in the air, and all conversation stills as we look around at each other and the blackened husk of The Fey’s chassis._

**LANI:** You killed it!

 **ALENA:** Does...this mean we’re free?

//The Fey re-enters out of nowhere, casually checking her clipboard.

 **THE FEY:** Guess again, assholes!

 **BO:** Hey! You! What’s with all the exploding? I’m starting not to like you very much!

 **THE FEY:** You don’t have to like me. You have to live with me. And you have to obey me. Follow the rules or expect bodily harm! Next time it won’t be a simple explosion, buckos.

 **KYO:** Is no one acknowledging that there’s...more than one of these things?

 **ROXXY:** I’m about to acknowledge it with my foot!

_She lifts her leg like she’s about to roundhouse kick The Fey into another dimension._

**HEIJI:** Dude, stop! She’ll just blow up again or do something worse! Manhandling her before got Fumi hurt, I don’t really want to see what’ll happen if you keep messin’ around.

_Roxxy pauses, still poised to kick, but sighs and puts her foot down._

**THE FEY:** Haha, next time it might be a knife to your throat, Glitter-tits. Or! Oh! Maybe a _gun!!_

 **KATA:** How are we expected to follow rules we don’t know about? I don’t expect a fancy drone to really be logical with me, but if you’re threatening us, at least give us some parameters.

 **THE FEY:** Check your pockets, scum.

_Kata pats himself down and finds a phone-sized tablet in his pocket. Several other students, including myself, do the same_

 

  * ****Guests are not permitted to leave Our Mansion of Plenty.****


  * ****The period between 11PM and 7 AM is designated Night Time. Certain areas are off limits during this time.****


  * **Guests may only sleep in the guest bedrooms provided. Deliberately falling asleep in other rooms will be punished.**


  * **You may explore Our Mansion of Plenty to your heart’s content. No limits are placed on your actions or movements within the mansion.**


  * **Violence enacted upon your Host, The Fey, is forbidden.**


  * **Intentional destruction of your Host’s property is forbidden.**


  * **A guest may take their leave of Our Mansion of Plenty if they kill one of their fellow guests. In order to take their leave, they must not be found out by their peers.**


  * **Additional rules may be added at any time by The Fey.**



**ALENA:** Her name’s The Fey…? What’s that mean?

 **BO:** Like a fairy maybe?

 **AIKA:** Perhaps she’s meant to be a Kindly One; a la the fates, the fair ones, the witches that watch over our lives.

 **NORIKO:** Or our deaths, in this case. We’re meant to meet with a grisly fate in here, she can’t be all that kindly.

 **KYO:** I’m not sure now is really an appropriate time to be discussing potential theological inspirations. You do you though.

 **THE FEY:** Everybody shut up! You brats really don’t know when to can it, do you? I’m trying to be a gracious Host here and…Please. Explore the mansion, get along as well as you’d like, live here forever.

 **MASANORI:** And the alternative is death?

 **YUI:** It appears, from the rule book, that the alternative is actually murder.

 **MASANORI:** Wow, big fuckin’ difference. Thanks for sharing with the class.

_Kyo steps forward, moving between the two of them._

**KYO** : The difference is...well, life and death, unless I’m wrong. If you hate the idea of getting along with us, your options are not ‘die or live,’ it’s rather…’kill or be killed.’

 **ISEI:** A pretty alarming technicality, don’t you think?

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, except none of us are gonna do that.

_Everyone looks at me. There are a variety of expressions across the room. The girl who nearly got crushed by the chandelier is still leaning on Roxxy and her friend, looking dazed but concerned. Alena is behind me, but looking on with wide eyes. Others are neutral, some are scared. The girl in armor looks furious._

**AIKA:** Can you be so sure? People do incredible things under incredible circumstances.

 **KATHERINE:** I’d say this qualifies as ‘incredible.’

 **MIKI:** Yeah, incredibly stupid. I’m with sweater-kid. Nobody’s dumb enough to kill anybody here.

 **ROXXY:** Check those cameras, even if you killed in here and got away with it according to the rules, they’ve gotta be broadcasting this, right?

 **KATA:** If they were broadcasting, they’d run the risk of people finding out where we are. It’s not hard to trace broadcasts.

 **YUI:** Fey, will you answer questions?

 **THE FEY:** No.

 **FUMI:** Didn’t you technically just answer one?

 **THE FEY:** Shit!

 **YUI:** Are you broadcasting the footage you take here?

 **THE FEY:** I’m not going to tell you that!

 **SHUJI:** Be fair, you answered one question, you might as well answer another.

 **THE FEY:** That’s not how this game works! You know the rules now, you know why you’re here, now get to work!

_It vanishes._

**ALENA:** To...work…?

_We stare at each other for a moment. All of us. We all know a few things: we were trapped. The person or people who had trapped us were cruel, and we don’t know what they want with us. We were meant to die in here. It is not a reassuring thought._

**SHUJI:** So, what do we do now? I’m assuming that none of us are planning on killing each other, so we’ve gotta figure something out.

 **AIKA:** You said that before. I reiterate: You shouldn’t be so sure, people--

 **SHUJI:** Are you planning on killing someone?

 **AIKA:** What?

 **SHUJI:** Are you planning on killing someone, right now? Do you have a target and a way to go about it in your head?

 **AIKA** : _[Offended]_ Of course not!

 **SHUJI:** Anybody else? Anybody else thinking of killing somebody here? Let’s see a show of hands for who is currently contemplating a murder.

_Nobody raises their hands. Isei looks amused._

**SHUJI:** Okay, that’s what I thought. No killers here. So, I’ll reiterate as well: What are we going to do?

 **LANI:** Maybe there’s a way to get out of here! We could look around?

 **ISEI:** We should start with what we know, what we have access to.

 **SHUJI:** Okay, cool. What do we know, and what do we have access to?

_[Isei is thoughtful]_

**KYO:** We have each other, to start with. I still haven’t met most of you.

 **YUI:** And, naturally, we have our environment. It says in the rules that we may explore, I’d recommend doing so.

 **ROXXY:** That robot wasn’t very consistent in attitude, I’d say there’s a chance she slipped up somewhere, so maybe there’s an open window or something.

 **NORIKO:** Let’s begin with a round of introductions, we can go from there to exploring. I also suggest we adopt a buddy system--perhaps one of trios. Just to be safe.

 **KYO:** I’ll start! My name is Kyo Katayama, the only child of Kojiro and Kyoko Katayama. I’m a Charity Organizer.

 **YUI:** Too humble. You’re THE Charity Organizer.

 **KYO:** If any of you live in Tokyo, you may have heard of my Charity Galas…

_They begin, but there are 17 people in this room. Everyone clamors over each other, going in no particular order, saying their names and their talents, bickering, establishing things about each other and themselves._

_Maybe it’s the fact that I was just told I’d have to kill one of my peers to escape. Hell, maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been kidnapped. Maybe it’s just that I’m emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed. Whatever the exact reason, I lose track of the conversation almost instantly._

_I try to focus on each person, on each face, but their names and skills are elusive. We establish that we’re definitely all from the same class, but other than that…_

_These could be strangers for all I know._

**KYO:** Alright, now everyone’s been introduced. Shall we explore?

_Ruh-roh. Was I so lost in thought I forgot to introduce myself?_

**YUI:** Once again, I recommend splitting into groups of three. Just to be safe.

_Oh no, everyone’s accepting it. If I try to butt in and introduce myself now I’ll look like an idiot. I guess I should just pay attention and try to go from here. Focus, Shuji!!_

**LANI:** We already established we’re not gonna kill anyone, so is that really necessary?

_Yui looks at Lani for a moment, sizing him up._

**YUI:** People lie.

 **LANI:** Well sure they’re gonna lie if you don’t give them any trust!

 **YUI:** ...Regardless. Kyo, will you allow me to accompany you and one other person to see what this so called mansion of plenty has to offer?

 **KYO:** Of course. Soga-san, will you come with us?

_He pauses before thoughtfully nodding and silently following them out of the room._

**HEIJI:** Fumi and I are going together, I wanna check out the windows, like Rose-san said. The super obvious openings like a window left open is always the stuff people miss in movies. Let’s see if something was left unlocked, yeah?

 **ROXXY:** I’ll come with. It’s my fault something fell on Fumi-chan, and I wanna make up for it.

 **FUMI:** I appreciate it.

//They leave.

 **NORIKO:** I’ll go with Nishimuraya-san.

 **MASANORI:** The fuck you are, I’m going alone.

 **NORIKO:** If nobody else should desire to go along with us, I understand. Should anything befall either of us, there will either be a victim or we’ll know who to blame. I apologize for breaking the rule of trios.

_Masanori storms off, but Noriko calmly follows him._

_There’s a pause as we all look at each other, sizing one another up. With 8 people now gone, the room feels a little more spacious...And here comes the pressure of being chosen last for dodgeball teams. Yikes._

**SHUJI:** Alena-san, Lani-san...would you be willing to explore with me?

 **LANI:** Sure thing! I’ve already looked around a bit…

 **SHUJI:** That’ll help; I haven’t looked around at all.

 **ALENA:** You were the last to wake up, so it makes sense…

 **LANI:** Come on, I’ll show you around!

_We take off, going to a hallway to the right of the stairs. There’s a little golden plaque above the entryway._

HOTEL OF PLENTY

_The filigree is quite nice, but I’m not sure about the subject matter._

**ALENA:** Hotel of...Plenty? I don’t like this.

 **LANI:** Oh that? Yeah I actually...didn’t bother checking it out. Hotels are creepy.

 **SHUJI:** I think they’re kinda fun. C’mon, it might not be that bad.

 **ALENA:** Have you spent a lot of time in hotels, Saji-san?

_Those wide eyes...She’s a nice girl but that’s definitely a creepy look._

**SHUJI:** Not a lot, but every now and then if you don’t have a place to stay it’s...well, it’s a bump up from sleeping on a bench, you know?

_[Alena stares. Shuji looks uncomfortable.]_

**LANI:** Maybe I’m weird, I love sleeping on hard surfaces. Give me the floor over a bed any day! Let’s check out this...hotel thing.

_We step into the long hallway, which seems to just be an access way for a bunch of other rooms. On each door, from the looks of things, is a little nameplate and a cartoony image of each of us. The first door to my left has a little picture of Isei, I think, and the one next to it has the red-headed boy...ah, here’s his name: Kata Ama._

**SHUJI:** Are these...dorms?

 **ALENA:** Seems so.

_We walk until we see Alena’s name, which is conveniently close to mine and Lani’s._

**LANI:** Neat! We each get our own rooms! How do we get in?

 **ALENA:** Hm.

_Alena fishes in her pockets (those things are like, huge) and pulls out a key._

**ALENA:** _[Frown.]_ I don’t remember having this. Name’s on it...

_Lani and I also reach into our pockets and find similar keys._

_I’m not happy about that. They kidnapped me, want me to murder, and stuck shit in my pockets? That’s crossing a line._

_Still, I take a good look at it. It’s not a keycard, like in real hotels, but a physical metal key like to a house. I’ll have to keep track of this carefully, if I don’t want to get locked out of my own room. I don’t have a keychain or anything, so I guess it just has to live in my pockets._

_I look at the others, who are frowning at their keys as well. Let’s see if I can keep this train moving._

**SHUJI:** Well, we might as well try!

_I open my door, revealing a lush bedroom._

_First of all, it’s a lot larger than I would have expected. This is the type of room you could just spend your whole life in without feeling cooped up. The space between the furniture is enough to dance in, and that’s not even taking into account how nice the furniture is._

_There’s a large desk made of...uh...I don’t know woods. But it looks nice. And it’s definitely made of wood. The bed could fit a whole family if they were feeling snug, with 4 posts like the bed from my formative princess themed dreams._

_My mouth simply hangs open as I try to take it in._

**LANI:** GUYS! This is dope!

_Lani bounces off into his own room, slamming the door, and I follow suit, entering my own._

_In addition to the desk and bed is a large wooden dresser. I pull open the drawers to reveal lots and lots of clothes; all pretty similar to stuff I would already be wearing given the opportunity. The closet is also full of clothes, but I can’t spend all day looking at my options._

_Crossing the deep, plush, Persian-style rug, I enter the master bathroom too. A tub, a shower, a mirror, and then more skin care items than I know what to do with._

_I’m beyond overwhelmed. I need to talk to the others and recenter before I lose myself in the opulance._

**SHUJI:** Wow, I haven’t had a room this nice in my entire life. Check out the bathroom! With a shower and everything! Do you guys have the same set up?

_..._

**SHUJI:** What are yours like?

_..._

_Well, I don’t like that at all. I leave my room and knock on Alena’s door, which she opens immediately._

**SHUJI:** Couldn’t you hear me?

 **ALENA:** Hear you? ... No. Were you...talking?

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, I called out while I was in my room. We’re right next to each other so I thought…

 **ALENA:** I don’t like that.

 **SHUJI:** That I called for you?

 **ALENA:** The rooms must be sound proof...that’s…

_That makes these rooms ideal for murders. Yikes._

**LANI:** Whoa I disappear for one second and the mood goes down the drain? C’mon guys, let’s keep going!

_As we turn to leave the hallway, more people enter._

**FUMI** : Stop fussing!

 **ROXXY** : But I feel so bad! I like, tossed that literal exploding gremlin right into your face!

 **FUMI** : Honestly, I’m okay. I promise. Pinky promise? What will it take, here, to make you feel better?

 **HEIJI** : You should listen to her. If she’s actually hurt she’ll cry, and cry, and cry…

 **FUMI** : Heiji are you sure you’re not thinking of Hisato? Or yourself? Hmm?

 **HEIJI** : That’s a fair point. I do get us mixed up sometimes.

 **ROXXY** : Just...let me fuss. That’ll make me feel loads better. Okie dokes?

 **FUMI** : [Sighs, smiling.] Okie dokies.

 **HEIJI** : It’s okie dokes!

 **FUMI** : Okie...dokies? Am I saying it?

 **HEIJI** : Dude, it’s dokes! Like oaks?

 **ROXXY** : I like that better actually! It’s so cute!

 **FUMI** : [Muttering.] Okie...dokies…?

_I decide to approach them, beckoning Lani and Alena to follow me. After all, I don’t even know most of their names and I’m certain they don’t know mine. I gotta learn this stuff somehow._

**SHUJI** : Hey! Roxxy-chan, how is the window-prying thing going?

 **ROXXY** : Oh! Shuji-chan! And ooohh let me see if I can remember...Lani-chan?

 **LANI** : You got it!

 **ROXXY** : And...oh, I don’t think I heard you say your name!

 **ALENA** : …

 **ROXXY** : [Expectant.] …?

 **ALENA** : . . .

 **ROXXY** : (Did she say it? Am I going deaf?)

 **FUMI** : (I didn’t hear anything either…)

 **LANI** : Hey...Alena-san...did you hear?

 **ALENA** : ...yes…

 **SHUJI** : Um! This is Alena Agyros! She’s the Urban Gardener!

 **FUMI** : Oh!! My mom bought your book!

 **HEIJI** : Don’t we sell that at the shop? Like it’s not surfing related but Mom dug it so much that she made it available.

 **ALENA** : That’s good.

 **ROXXY** : Oh! Hey! A whole sentence! High five!

_Roxxy leans in for a high five, but Alena leaves her hanging, just staring blankly at the extended hand._

**SHUJI** : I don’t think I caught your names, I’m sorry. I know Roxxy-chan, but you two are…?

 **HEIJI** : Hey no worries man, I totally zoned out during the intros earlier too. I’m Heiji Kaimi! What is it in English? Cowabunga, am I right?

 **FUMI** : You have to tell him what you do, too.

 **HEIJI** : Oh! Haha, duh. I’m the Super High School Level Surfer! Guess I’m the graduate level surfer now, though…

_Heiji Kaimi is one of the boons of channel surfing, no pun intended. Surfing competitions are televised, and he’s really well known for being one of the most camera friendly surfers out there right now. He’s famous for being charming, attracting a huge female following for his good looks and goofy demeanor, and absolutely demolishing competitions._

**SHUJI** : Wow, I’ve heard of you! You’re really good!

 **HEIJI** : Hell yeah! Nice!

 **FUMI** : Oh! I’m…

 **LANI** : I’m a huge fan actually!! Surfing is huge in Hawaii too, I mean, like, duh! But you really do awesome stuff!

 **HEIJI** : Thanks li’l buddy! Oh, and this is my sister, Fumi.

 **FUMI** : I can introduce myself, actually.

 **HEIJI** : Yeah! Do it! Power through!

 **FUMI** : [Laughing.] I’m Fumi Kaimi. We’re twins.

  


**HEIJI** : I’m sure you can see the resemblance.

_Not...really. I guess I can see some family resemblance in their facial features, but they’re wildly different looking people. Heiji is tall, tan and muscular. Fumi is short, pale, and fat. They both have blonde hair--though his is much lighter and hers is much darker--and pink eyes, but they’re definitely not identical._

**FUMI** : I was accepted under the title Letter Writer. It’s like Ghostwriter, in a way, but--

 **LANI** : Ghosts?! Writing?!

 **ROXXY** : Isn’t it amazing?! Fumi-chan is extremely cool. Listening about her writing has been the only like, good part about this whole stupid gag.

_I’m going to be honest. I have no idea what that is. I nod along and smile, anyway._

**FUMI** : So um. Basically! I write good. I think. In letters.

 **ALENA** : Wow.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, wow!

 **FUMI** : Yeah...wow…

 **HEIJI** : Don’t be embarrassed! You do write good! In letters and everything!

 **FUMI** : I’m a bit better at writing than wording. Talking. Oh my god. It keeps happening.

 **SHUJI** : Hey, don’t worry. We’re all pretty stressed out here. I bet you’ll get loads of opportunities to tell me more about your talent when we’re freaking out less.

 **LANI** : Right! Once we escape, for example!

 **HEIJI** : I like the positivity little bro!

 **ALENA** : ...Will we?

_I turn to her, though she was so quiet the others might not have noticed, and we make eye contact. Her eyes just bore directly into my skull, but I deal with it for the time being._

**SHUJI** : Yes. We’ll escape.

 **ALENA** : Oh…

 **ROXXY** : Huh? Why do you doubt it? We’ve got like one million of the smartest teens in the entire world here so we can do anything if we put our minds to it!

 **ALENA** : Right. Yes. I’m sorry for interrupting.

 **FUMI** : It’s not interrupting! It’s a conversation. What are you worried about?

_Alena laughs awkwardly. The laugh borders on choking, though, so I’m not sure how much I should read into that._

**ALENA** : I’m worried about everything.

 **LANI** : Ouch! Okay. Let’s narrow it down! A mountain is just made of rocks and we can tackle any rock!

 **ALENA** : Okay...I’ll narrow it down. I’m worried about you.

 **LANI** : Me?

 **ALENA** : All of you. And me. Don’t you think we’re going to die?

 **SHUJI** : We’re absolutely not!

 **ALENA** : Everyone’s acting normal, as if we weren’t told to kill...you really don’t think anybody would kill? Anybody?

_She looks up at me again with those wide, imploring eyes. That face alone is enough to make you doubt. I shake my head firmly, though, unwilling to be swayed._

**SHUJI** : I know I wouldn’t kill anybody. I’m willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

 **LANI** : I’m with Shuji-kun!

 **ROXXY** : Same! I’ve like, done death defying stuff for fun before. I think I can defy a little bit of forced death too, you know?

 **FUMI** : Forced death? Is that what they call murder these days?

 **ROXXY** : What I’m _saying_ is! I’ll protect anybody, you know? If anyone gets bad ideas.

 **HEIJI** : I’m with you on that. I can’t imagine anybody would wanna kill me or anything, so I’ll just help out!

 **SHUJI** : See, Alena-san? Everyone’s on board. It’ll be okay.

 **ALENA** : ...hm…

 **ROXXY** : Look, let’s keep looking around, okay? Once Heiji and I figure out how to pry that steel off those windows, we’re gonzo! And then we call the cops on that fairy thing, and go home! Easy peasy!

 **SHUJI** : Good luck, guys! We should keep exploring too.

 **FUMI** : Are these dorms?

 **LANI** : You guys check those out, we’ll head out!

_They separate, exploring their own rooms, but I stop at a nameplate right before the exit to the main foyer._

**SHUJI:** Well this doesn’t look like anybody.

_Instead of a name and a picture, it’s just an image of a mop, accompanied by a second image of a little bisected circle. A Pokeball? I’m not sure what it’s meant to be._

**LANI** : Ummm maybe it’s The Fey’s room!

 **ALENA** : Doesn’t look like The Fey.

_I try the doorknob, and it opens._

**SHUJI** : It isn’t locked. Let’s find out!

_Oh my God. This room is chaos given a name._

_It’s just as large as the bedroom I explored earlier, but with shelves and racks of just...stuff. Statuary, bolts of fabric, pieces of paper, string lights, bits of pottery, etc. It’s a mishmash of stuff, all cluttered to the back, while the entrance of the room is commanded by a formidable gacha machine._

**MASANORI** : Oh fuck, it’s the Goody Two Shoes Brigade. There’s no fire to put out so leave me the fuck alone.

 **NORIKO** : Nishimuraya-san.

 **MASANORI** : And you can fuck off too! Hey, maybe you three can fucking help me. I think this scary lady is trying to _murder_ me!

_Oh, this guy._

_I didn’t catch his name earlier, but I did see him constantly berating everyone else. It made it harder to pay attention to everyone’s name and titles, so I’m not super fond of him already. I size him up for the first time, now, trying to figure out how to respond. He doesn’t make it easy. His lizard-like hoodie is pulled tight around his face, only revealing limp greasy hair and his eyes. The rest of his face is covered by a cutesy medical mask with an animal mouth printed on it._

_He’s glaring at me._

**SHUJI** : Uh.

_Smooth._

**LANI** : Hey! Are you really trying to kill him?

 **NORIKO** : Actually, the opposite, I’m afraid. His habit of being a total asshole is going to get a target painted on his back, so I’m here to intervene in case anybody should try to take a shot at him.

 **MASANORI** : Reeaaal convincing. Help! She’s going to crush me with her meaty man hands!

 **ALENA** : …!

_I wouldn’t have been concerned, but the lizard hoodie kid lunges forward, startling Alena. I step between the two of them on instinct, and he continues to glare at me._

_I look to his...keeper, I guess you could call her, hoping she can intervene. She takes a step forward and yanks on the boy’s arm, pulling him back into her realm of influence. This is the first time I’ve given her a good look, since the boy has been taking up so much of my attention. She’s tall, wearing--_

**SHUJI** : Is that armor?

 **NORIKO:** Yes. Are you feeling quite alright? I made my introductions and explanations earlier. I believe you were present, although...Aw, no. I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name.

 **ALENA** : You’re not really going to hurt him, are you?

 **LANI** : I’m sorta okay with him getting hurt. No offense.

 **NORIKO** : [Smiling.] I’ll only hurt him if he decides it’s necessary.

 **MASANORI** : Listen you stupid slut--ACK

_Before he can finish his insult, Noriko slaps him. Hard. With a gauntlet. Alena squeaks in shock, and I take a step forward, but he doesn’t seem horribly injured. Just a little redder than before, and glaring._

**SHUJI** : Okay, maybe take it easy on hitting him. He’s rude, but like...given the circumstances...I don’t know.

 **NORIKO** : I understand. I will...resist.

 **MASANORI** : You fucking brute. What gives you the right to decide if I deserve getting whacked around like a goddamn tennis ball?!

 **NORIKO** : Perhaps this is a good time for introductions, or to reiterate. My name’s Noriko Noro. I perform as a knight in a renaissance faire, in addition to having been appointed as a knight by my religion, earning me the title of Knight.

<

>  


_I’ve heard of her, a little bit. She’s the type of person you see Buzzfeed articles about because she’s the only person in Japan who both performs as and is also a real bonafide knight. Her religion is super niche, almost unheard of, but she represents it pretty well. Either way, she’s definitely earned her way into Hope’s Peak. Not only is she a real knight, but her presence at a ren faire doubles or triples attendance because her performance is so good. There’s been a surge in little girls wanting to be knights instead of princesses because of her alone._

**NORIKO** : And as a knight, I have duties. Those duties include determining injustice, and punishing it.

 **MASANORI** : Calling you a cunt isn’t injustice.

 **LANI** : Wow! But it’s super duper rude!

 **ALENA** : ...sexism is worth punishing, right?

 **MASANORI** : It’s not sexist! Not if it’s accurate.

 **NORIKO** : Nishimuraya-san…

 **SHUJI** : Hey! Don’t slap him!

 **NORIKO** : I wasn’t going to. Thanks for the intervention Mr...Nuts, I still don’t know your name.

 **SHUJI** : My name is Shuji Saji!

 **MASANORI** : I think I’m going to pluck my own fucking eyes out because of boredom.

 **LANI** : Why don’t you introduce yourself like a normal person?

 **MASANORI** : Yeah, I wouldn’t expect someone like you to know me. Ugh. Well I’m definitely not whoever designed that shitshow…

 **LANI** : Uhh…

 **NORIKO** : He’s talking about your clothes.

 **MASANORI** : I’m Masanori Nishimuraya, and I design clothes for the rich and famous. Who notoriously have bad taste. Hence, Super Highschool Level Fashion Designer. Yawn.

**LANI** : Oh! I’ve heard of you! Like for the Met Gala, right?

 **ALENA** : You like...fashion?

 **MASANORI** : Oh don’t be so fucking judgemental, you wall-eyed freak.

 **LANI** : No, this guy’s a big deal. His designs are ridiculously expensive, and like, mega decadent. He’s also done a lot of work for movies!

_Ohh, that’s where I’ve heard the name. I’ve definitely seen his work; he does everything from ball gowns to science fiction costumes. His work is really coveted for fashion-heavy celebrity parties, the Met Gala being the most notable. His designs are really out there, looking difficult to wear and totally impractical. I guess it’s no wonder I’ve never seen his face before. Most people assume he wants to stay out of the limelight...maybe for a reason…_

**MASANORI** : Thanks for summarizing my shit for me, pipsqueak. I really wanted you to do that. Which is why I asked.

_I’m also starting to understand why Noriko thinks he might get murdered._

**SHUJI** : Okay, that’s enough from you.

 **NORIKO** : I’ve been considering ways to silence him…

 **SHUJI** : Nuh-uh. Don’t do that. Stop considering.

 **NORIKO** : [Smiling.] I vow not to hurt him anymore. Okay?

 **MASANORI** : Oh, so you’ll listen to him but not to me?

 **LANI** : Maybe it’s because Shuji-kun is uhhh...nice to her? Reasonable?

 **NORIKO** : Yep.

 **MASANORI** : Typical…

_Alena reaches forward and tugs my sleeve to get my attention. When she has it, she blinks up at me slowly, imploringly._

**ALENA** : Can we leave?

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, we should probably check out the rest of the house.

 **LANI** : It was nice getting to talk to you one-on-one Noriko!

 **MASANORI** : Oh, I get it. I’m not even here. I don’t even exist. Fuck, sometimes I wish that were true just so I wouldn’t have to deal with fucking morons like you.

 **NORIKO** : Likewise! It was nice meeting all of you.

_We exit the supply closet and almost immediately run into a small person with a mouse-ear headband. I mentally rub my hands together, prepping myself for another introduction._

**MIKI** : Hey! Kid!

 **LANI** : Me?

 **MIKI** : You’re smaller than me, come here.

 **SHUJI** : I really don’t like the sound of that!

 **MIKI** : We’re trying to fit people through a vent, and they couldn’t get me to cram in there. So it’s your turn. Be part of the escape plan or whatever.

 **LANI** : Alright! I’ll see you guys later!

 **MIKI** : Yeah, whatever, follow me.

_The two depart, jogging to someplace with a vent._

**SHUJI** : Did you catch their name?

_Alena shakes her head mutely, staring after them with those forlorn eyes._

**SHUJI** : I guess it’s up to us to explore, then. What do you think?

_Alena turns, fixing her stare on me._

**ALENA** : It’s a good idea. Thanks for keeping me company.

 **SHUJI** : Really? I thought you were keeping _me_ company.

 **ALENA** : [Shakes head.] I’d probably stay by the plants and not explore at all if it were up to me. I’m meeting people, which is scary, but also learning about where we are. Important.

 **SHUJI** : I guess we should thank Lani-kun for getting us moving in the first place, right?

 **ALENA** : Yeah…

_She trails off, looking at the space Lani had occupied until a moment ago, and we’re left in silence again. I’m starting to get used to it, though, so I just shrug and continue on._

_I think we’ve explored this hallway as much as we can right now, so we cross the foyer again and go into the other hall. Since nothing here is as conveniently labeled as the previous hallway, I hang a right and hope it’s something interesting._

_What I find is a room outfitted with rows and rows of washing and drying machines. Along the back wall is entirely dryers, from a glance, while another row making up the center of the room is entirely washing machines._

_Near the entrance of the room are a few propped up folding chairs and a magazine rack, in addition to the gigantic girl in all pink that I’d noticed earlier._

**SHUJI** : Hey!

 **KATHERINE** : Hello.

_She stares down at me; not something I’m extremely used to, given that I’m pretty tall on my own, and I stare back. Her face is perfectly expressionless, and it’s easy to forget about it as I take in the rest of her outfit. Everything on her is either shiny pink or fluffy faux fur--and still really pink. Even her hair is dyed pink._

**ALENA** : ...Tall!

 **KATHERINE** : [Rolling eyes.] That’s been established.

_Faced with an irritable giant with only a terrified plant girl to back me up, I do as any sane man would--_

**SHUJI** : Wow, you even have high heels on!

_\--I put my entire foot in my mouth._

**KATHERINE** : You’re very observant.

_Abort! Abort! I have to salvage this somehow!_

**SHUJI** : Sorry, I was just taken aback a little bit. I’m sure you get those comments a lot.

 **KATHERINE** : …

 **SHUJI** : Right! Um. So what do you make of this room?

 **KATHERINE** : It’s for laundry.

 **SHUJI** : It sure is!

 **ALENA** : It’s a laundromat, though. Not a normal house’s laundry room.

 **KATHERINE** : Nothing about this house is normal.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, our rooms were pretty out of this world. I’ve never seen a bedroom like that.

 **KATHERINE** : Not that.

 **ALENA** : ...murder.

_Katherine nods, looking at Alena with a completely disinterested glance._

**SHUJI** : Okay. Well. We’ve established none of us are going to kill each other--

 **KATHERINE** : Yes, and I’m very tall.

 **SHUJI** : Yep! Both are facts that we just know, so we shouldn’t let them daunt us too much.

 **KATHERINE** : You genuinely believe that, don’t you?

_Her head tilts incrementally as she looks at me now, her arms crossed. Her monotone lifts slightly with her new inquisitive tone, and it’s as dramatic a shift as Alena suddenly yelling would be. I’m sincerely startled._

**SHUJI** : Yeah. I do.

 **KATHERINE** : Chump.

 **SHUJI** : My name is Shuji Saji, I never got an opportunity to make an introduction while we were all going around!

 **KATHERINE** : I wasn’t listening anyway.

 **SHUJI** : Me neither! I mean, I was. But I forgot a lot of them. Can you remind me of your name?

 **KATHERINE** : [Looking away.] Tch. I’m Katherine Ueda.

 **ALENA** : Little Miss Snow?

 **KATHERINE** : Snowie. Among others.

 **SHUJI** : Like the kids’ movie? Was the character based on you?

 **KATHERINE** : No. I played her.

 **SHUJI** : Oh, wow! You look really different from when you were a kid!

 **KATHERINE** : That happens.

_If I’m remembering right, Katherine must be related to the actress Aiko Ueda. Katherine was in a bunch of movies as a kid, like the Little Miss Snowie movie that was very popular from overseas, because of the reputation of her parents. I’m not always completely up to date on celebrity gossip, but I think I remember hearing that Aiko Ueda split up with famous Mexican-American director Cain Kowl a few years ago, which might make him Katherine’s dad._

_Still, I can’t think of a movie I’d have seen Katherine in in the last few years, at least. I guess that’s pretty common when little kid actors hit puberty._

**SHUJI** : So is your title Super High School Level Actress?

 **KATHERINE** : Child Star.

 **SHUJI** : Oh, that makes sense! You were really famous as a kid, huh?

 **KATHERINE** : I guess so. Roxxy-san is a fan.

_I faintly remember Roxxy flipping out in apparent joy at some point during the long introductions earlier. I guess she was pretty pumped to meet a childhood hero._

**ALENA** : My brothers like your...uh...the scary ones.

 **SHUJI** : You were in horror movies?

 **KATHERINE** : A handful, yes. I mostly did holiday stuff and horror. You watch them?

 **ALENA** : No!

_She looks terrified even at the mention of a horror movie._

**SHUJI** : I haven’t, no! When we get out of here I’ll make a point of it.

 **KATHERINE** : Do whatever you want.

_With that, she walks around us and leaves the room entirely, her heels clicking on the floor as she heads toward the dorms._

**ALENA** : She’s scary.

 **SHUJI** : A bit, yeah. Are you alright?

_Alena freezes as I look at her, but gradually shakes the paralysis free with a firm shake of her head._

**ALENA** : I don’t think so. Can you be? In this?

 **SHUJI** : What, a laundry room?

 **ALENA** : [Barely smiling.] A kidnapping situation.

 **SHUJI** : Right, that. I forgot.

 **ALENA** : Really? How? ...Would you teach me?

_I laugh, despite myself. That’s the most animated I’ve ever seen Alena so far, but it’s so silly I can’t help but laugh._

_Her hopeful expression turns to terror, though, and that shuts me up pretty quickly._

**SHUJI** : Sorry, Alena-chan. I was just joking. If I figure out how, I’ll teach you.

 **ALENA** : ...Laughing at me?

_She’s so quiet now I can only catch the end of her sentence._

**SHUJI** : No! I was laughing at my own joke, more than anything.

 **ALENA** : ...Cocky…

_I laugh again, but this time she smiles with me, covering her mouth with a hand as if to hide it away._

_Without any dirty clothes to wash, we decide to continue on. We leave the laundry room and enter through the door directly opposite it. It’s unlabeled, as most of them have been, and when we enter we find a single stall bathroom and two boys._

_One of them I can name, at least, and it’s something of a relief after all these introductions._

_The other boy is a little hard to look at because he’s so pretty. Fair skin that seems to never have seen a blemish, red hair that looks unbelievably soft, and striking orange eyes in a completely bored face._

**ISEI** : Oh hey.

 **SHUJI** : Hey!

 **ALENA** : Hello.

 **KATA** : ...As I was saying, I don’t think this is an ideal situation. If you would avoid interrupting me in the future, I’d like that.

 **ISEI** : Be polite.

 **KATA** : Why should I?

 **ISEI** : Because being nice to each other is life or death in here, man. Have respect.

 **KATA** : I assume the end of that sentence is ‘or else’...? As the sweater boy said, it’s pretty unlikely that anybody is going to actively try to kill anyone else.

 **ISEI** : Sweater boy has a name.

 **KATA** : Does he?

 **SHUJI** : He does! I mean, I do!

_The red-headed boy turns to me and looks me over with an analytical gaze. His eyebrow rises slowly over the course of it, and ultimately he seems to finish his assessment with a shrug. I do my best not to squirm, standing tall with shoulders square._

**KATA** : You didn’t introduce yourself when everyone was going around. To be fair, neither did she.

 **ALENA** : …

 **KATA** : Although I can see why. You’re painfully shy, right? The type who’d rather run away than have an introduction?

 **ALENA** : …[Nods.]

 **KATA** : You’re honest, at least. That type is surprisingly popular, so don’t worry too much. But don’t cling to me, either. I’m not here to help you.

 **ALENA** : Okay...

 **ISEI** : Why don’t you two introduce yourself?

 **SHUJI** : Right. I’m Shuji Saji.

 **ALENA** : ...ros…

_She’s so quiet that, despite standing directly next to her, I can’t make out what she says. I decide to step in as best I can._

**SHUJI** : This is Alena Agyros. She’s an Urban Gardener.

 **KATA** : That’s interesting. So we’ve got the painfully shy type, probably with some big guilty secret, and...you. What’s your deal?

 **SHUJI** : I don’t really have a deal.

 **KATA** : Right. I guess I’ll introduce myself. Kata Ama, Otome Game Developer.

_I’m not really into otome games, personally, but even I’ve heard of Kata Ama. His games have been on the forefront of AI programming for years, with really notable art. I think I heard a TED talk on how they’re being used to help people genuinely learn romantic and personal skills because of the complexity of the routes and personalities of his characters._

_I’m not surprised he got into and graduated from Hope’s Peak, but I’m a little surprised he didn’t get in as an AI programmer or something._

**SHUJI** : It’s nice to meet you.

 **KATA** : I wish I could say the same.

_Isei bops the back of Kata’s head with his hand._

**KATA** : The _situation_ renders all of this rather un-nice. Don’t touch me.

 **ISEI** : Don’t be a dick and you won’t get touched.

 **KATA** : Fine.

 **SHUJI** : How are you holding up, Soga-kun?

 **ISEI** : Fine. As fine as it’s gonna be, I guess. I was exploring with the duo--Suzuki and Katayama--but I ended up going my own way. They’re drafting legislature or something and I just wanted to know what’s going on.

 **KATA** : And what did you hope to learn?

 **ISEI** : Maybe lots. Maybe nothing. Hard to tell at this point.

_He shrugs, as if that explains what’s going through his head, and hunkers down to open the cabinet beneath the sink. I lean over him, curious to see if there’s anything worth investigating, but it looks like there’s only plumbing and extra toilet paper down there._

**ALENA** : Soga-san?

 **ISEI** : What’s up?

 **ALENA** : What are you looking for?

 **ISEI** : I’m not sure. Anything that’s out of place, I guess. Sometimes it’s important to get a baseline picture of a place, too, so if anything is out of place later, I’ll notice.

 **ALENA** : Wow.

 **SHUJI** : Smart!

 **KATA** : Maybe. It could be a total waste of time.

 **SHUJI** : That seems unnecessarily negative. Why not investigate while we can?

 **KATA** : It might be a waste of energy that we’ll want to conserve.

 **ALENA** : For what?

 **KATA** : Fending off attacks, maybe.

 **ALENA** : Attacks?

 **SHUJI** : Nobody is going to attack anybody. You’d have to be a total asshole to attack someone for no reason.

 **KATA** : Hmm.

 **ISEI** : Regardless, it’s not like looking around is a huge energy expenditure. I don’t get what you’re trying to do.

 **KATA** : Look out for everyone. Obviously.

 **ISEI** : Doesn’t seem real obvious to me.

_The two glare at each other for a moment, and the tension in the room is a bit much for me now. I beckon to Alena, nodding toward the door, and her expression is relieved as she nods and we quietly exit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first bit of the prologue is short, but here we're getting into the heavy lifting. Stay strong, there's more characters incoming! Once the prologue is complete, there'll be handy little fullbody designs and report cards for you to look at for reference!


	3. Prologue: All Is Not Lost (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final part of the Prologue. The first floor of Our Mansion of Plenty is explored, and some boundaries are laid out. The Mastermind behind this horrible experiment is discussed.

_There are two doors left, and I mentally flip a coin to decide which one to go to first. We end up walking to the one next to the laundry room, all things being equal._

_It looks like a really nice living room, if a little small. There are two overstuffed chairs and a small loveseat, making up a cozy seating area in front of an unlit fireplace, a cabinet against the back wall with an electric water heater, lots of fancy tiny cups, and what seems to be boxes of tea and hot cocoa mix._

_It’s totally charming, except for The Fey’s presence talking to the two people in here._

**THE FEY** : If you don’t want my help, then fine. Freeze to death.

 **YUI** : I don’t think it’s quite cold enough in here for a fire to be a solution to any problems…

 **THE FEY** : Yet!

 **KYO** : Hey, whoa, we just asked a simple question. No need to get hostile.

 **THE FEY** : I am only hostile. It’s a quality only a true Host would have, so you wouldn’t get it.

 **KYO** : That hurts.

 **THE FEY** : Kyehehehaha! Good!

_The Fey pushes past Alena and I, face blank, and disappears into the hallway._

**KYO** : God, that thing is exhausting.

 **SHUJI** : What were you doing talking to it?

 **YUI** : I happened to muse aloud if there were any way to light the fire, and she appeared.

 **SHUJI** : The Fey just comes when called?

 **KYO** : [Amused.] Maybe she only likes to come when fire is on the table, as it were.

 **YUI** : I suppose there’s one way to find out.

 **ALENA** : Don’t call her here!

 **YUI** : The Fey? Hello?

_The door behind me slams open to reveal the fuchsia fairy in all her rage._

**THE FEY** : What is it?! Need Mommy to chew your food for you, baby bird?

 **YUI** : No. That will be all.

 **THE FEY** : Ugh! You just called me here for no reason?!

 **KYO** : Pretty temperamental for a Host, don’t you think?

 **THE FEY** : No violence against the Host! That counts emotional violence! Bullying is expressly forbidden!

 **SHUJI** : I think telling us to kill each other seems pretty bully-like.

 **THE FEY** : Nobody asked what you think.

 **KYO** : Likewise, nobody asked for your opinion.

 **YUI** : You may leave now.

 **THE FEY** : Oh?! May I???

_And it pushes past me again, disappearing the way it came in._

_Kyo just laughs._

**KYO** : I guess we hit a sore spot.

 **SHUJI** : You’d think a kidnapper could handle a little teasing.

 **YUI** : I’m a little bit concerned with this definition of worthwhile…

 **SHUJI** : Seems like a simple solution. We just don’t summon it.

 **ALENA** : It’s not like anybody wants it around…

 **KYO** : True! What do you think, Yui?

 **YUI** : I’ll have to be satisfied with that for now.

 **KYO** : So! You two! I don’t know your names!

 **YUI** : Yes, both of you failed to introduce yourselves. I know Saji-kun, of course, from before we were alerted to our situation.

 **SHUJI** : Oh yeah, hi Suzuki-san!

 **YUI** : [Amused.] Hello.

 **KYO** : Saji...Saji...I don’t know the surname! I keep hoping I’ll remember something from school. Your face is definitely familiar, but I can’t place it. This is so frustrating!

 **SHUJI** : I’ll make it easy on you. My name is Shuji Saji, and this is Alena Agyros.

 **KYO** : Charmed to meet you both! What is it you both got invited to Hope’s Peak for?

 **ALENA** : Gardening.

 **SHUJI** : Specifically she gardens in urban spaces! Her techniques are super famous for impoverished areas and stuff.

 **KYO** : Oh! What would it take to get that sort of thing world wide?

 **ALENA** : What?

 **KYO** : Your skills! How could we make them more accessible? I’m sure there are third world countries who are desperate for the services you provide.

 **ALENA** : I...think in developing countries they already know how to garden. My stuff is only really new in big cities.

 **KYO** : The toxic wasteland of a metropolis, hmm?

 **ALENA** : Sort...of?

 **KYO** : My question still stands. You’re clearly foreign, and brought to Japan for some reason. But how could we get that to...say...Shanghai?

 **ALENA** : Um. Well, I guess if we sold my book and…

 **KYO** : What about seminars? Can you teach?

 **ALENA** : Grhgh...t-teach?

 **YUI** : Agyros-san doesn’t seem to be particularly fond of public speaking.

 **SHUJI** : Poor people usually are too busy to attend seminars, anyway.

 **KYO** : Ohh...good points...I’ll have to troubleshoot on this for a while.

 **ALENA** : Why?

 **KYO** : I don’t know, I guess I’m stressed out.

 **ALENA** : ...Stress makes you do this?

 **KYO** : Yeah! I’m keeping my mind off of it. It’s been a while since I’ve found something new to support, and starting from the ground up makes sure everything is watertight, you know?

 **ALENA** : I do not.

 **YUI** : Kyo is referring to their work, of course.

_Oh fuck. This is where I really regret not paying attention when introductions were going around. Wasn’t this person like the first to go, too? Is it worth it to pretend I know what they’re talking about??_

**SHUJI** : Right. Yes. Their work. Great stuff.

_I nod a little too vehemently._

_Everyone looks at me, eyebrows raised._

**KYO** : ...Yes! And what is your work, if you don’t mind, Saji-san?

_I clear my throat._

**SHUJI** : Oh, I’ve done lots of stuff. You know, gas station attendant, or like...fast food worker...the usual. I was a bellboy for like a month.

 **KYO** : [Squinting.] That’s what you were accepted to the Academy for?

_How do I keep making this worse?_

_My mind is totally blank for excuses as to why I wouldn’t know my talent, or why I shouldn’t be talking about it._

**ALENA** : I’m lost.

_For once, it’s Alena saving me from social downfall. I’ll have to thank her for that later. Once I stop being just like the stupidest guy in the room._

**YUI** : Lost?

 **ALENA** : I don’t know your name or what you do. I’m not very good at Japanese, still, so I missed a lot earlier.

 **KYO** : Oh! I’m so sorry for not introducing myself properly. My name is Kyo Katayama, and I am known for my charity galas. I’m a Charity Organizer.

_Their name practically clicks into place in my head as I think of all the pictures I’ve seen from the Katayama Charity Galas. First of all, the Katayama family is one of the richest in Japan, if not the world. Secondly, their only kid--Kyo, I guess--is famous for donating as much money as they can to charities, in addition to making other celebrities pay out._

_They host huge parties that you have to pay for an invitation to, and then the proceeds from them goes to whatever charity they’re currently supporting. They’re the kind of parties that anybody who’s anybody wants to be seen at, so they’re very successful._

_Suddenly all their questions about Alena’s talent make a lot more sense._

**SHUJI** : Suzuki-san, you personally assist Katayama-san?

 **YUI** : Among others. But I always find myself coming back to Kyo.

 **KYO** : We’re best friends! It’s lucky we both got invitations to the school!

 **YUI** : Perhaps not so lucky, since we now find ourselves in this situation.

 **KYO** : Yeah...

 _There’s a moment of silence as we think about our situation. What I keep coming back to, as much as I’m trying to avoid thinking about this too much, is_ why. _Why us? Why this class? Why any of this?_

 **SHUJI** : All of this is ridiculous.

 **YUI** : All of ‘this’?

 **SHUJI** : The premise for this whole...situation. It’s like...it’s silly.

 **KYO** : Amen, brother. What goofball put us here?

 **YUI** : I fail to find this silly. It’s concerning, to put it mildly. Absolutely terrifying may be more accurate.

 **SHUJI** : It’s just like something out of an anime. Like not even a good anime!

 **ALENA** : Who watches cartoons about kidnapping and murder?

 **SHUJI** : Otaku, that’s who.

 **KYO** : Nerds.

 **YUI** : Reprobates with no social lives.

 **ALENA** : Snrk…

 **SHUJI** : Whenever we find out who put us in here, we’re gonna bully them, okay? Agreed?

 **YUI** : I was thinking prison might be more fitting.

 **KYO** : Yeah, prison, but first we shove them in a locker, right? Give ‘em a swirly?

 **ALENA** : You guys are really weird.

 **KYO** : [Shrugs.] I blame my upbringing. At least I don’t watch shitty snuff anime.

_We laugh together, and I start to genuinely believe that we can make it through this. As long as we can laugh together, we can survive._

_But the moment can only last so long._

**ALENA** : We should probably keep looking.

_I nod._

**SHUJI** : It was nice meeting both of you. Or re-meeting you. Whatever. We’ve still got tons of stuff to check out.

 **KYO** : See ya!

 **YUI** : Good luck. Let’s hope you find something useful.

_Left with one more doorway in the hallway, we enter what looks like a dining room._

_There’s a long oval table outfitted with 17 chairs taking up the center of the room, claiming most of my immediate attention, but against one wall is a fancy china cabinet and against the far wall is another door. It looks like we haven’t finished exploring after all._

_As we enter, the goth girl who had been insisting that someone could kill exits the opposite door._

_I can’t say I’m her biggest fan yet, but I refuse to let that first impression taint my opinion of her._

**SHUJI** : Hey!

 **AIKA** : Oh, it’s you. Two of you. You know, I think you two were the only ones who failed to introduce themselves when everyone was going around.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, I guess I spaced out. It was a lot to take in.

_She takes a long inhale from her cigarette, and dusts some ashes on the beautiful rug taking up much of the floor. Even though the rug probably belongs to our kidnapper, I’m a little bit upset to see a beautiful thing like that disrespected._

**AIKA** : So what are you hiding?

 **ALENA** : Huh?

 **AIKA** : Both of you must have some secret. Something worth keeping quiet about. Being the one to rush to everyone’s defense, claiming nobody would contemplate murder...nobody would suspect you. Is that your goal?

 **SHUJI** : I don’t have a goal. I want to get out of here, just like everyone else.

 **AIKA** : [Smirks.] Ah, and what depths would you plunge to in order to accomplish that?

_Wow, it looks like my first impression was right. She’s pretty unpleasant._

**ALENA** : Why are you saying all that?

_The goth girl raises an eyebrow, but otherwise seems expressionless._

**AIKA** : It’s just human nature to want things, don’t you think? Everyone wants survival, and the means to accomplish that. Once all one’s needs are met, they can either become comfortable with the bare minimum or continue to strive.

 **SHUJI** : I’m not following.

 **AIKA** : It’s alright; you don’t seem particularly smart.

 **SHUJI** : Hey!

 **AIKA** : My point is; people will want to escape, and have been given a clear exit. Murder is as inevitable as breathing.

 **ALENA** : Is that...true?

 **SHUJI** : No! It isn’t true! What is your problem!

 **AIKA** : My problem? Hmm. I suppose it could be any number of things. Perhaps my problems come from a lack of love in my early childhood. Perhaps it comes from pure spite, with no real rationale behind it. You don’t know enough about me to really judge that, do you?

 **SHUJI** : By the same logic, you can’t say you know anybody here well enough to judge them a murderer!

 **AIKA** : Au contraire, fool. I happen to be in a field that gives me unique insight into the human condition.

 **ALENA** : A witch…?

 **AIKA** : Maybe.

 **SHUJI** : She’s not a witch.

_Maybe something that sounds like witch, though._

**AIKA** : I suppose neither of you remember my brief introduction earlier? That inability to retain information could be deadly.

 **SHUJI** : I’m sorry, it was a lot to take in all at once. I only caught a handful of names. Could you please tell me yours?

 **AIKA** : And why should I? Information is very valuable in a place like this.

_Urrrghhh…_

**SHUJI** : My name is Shuji Saji, and this is Alena Agyros.

 **AIKA** : She still resists speaking for herself, hmm? Is there some trauma that prevents you from speaking to strangers? Did someone hurt you?

 **ALENA** : [Shakes head.] Leave me alone.

 **AIKA** : I don’t think I will. But as for introductions; my name is Aika Akiyama. I’m a paranormal psychologist.

_I don’t know a lot about her off the top of my head, but I think I recognize the name from some late night interview show. If I remember right, she was being condemned as irresponsible and potentially cruel to her test subjects?_

_Yikes._

**SHUJI** : What is that, exactly?

 **AIKA** : You’re wondering if I give therapy to ghosts?

_I wasn’t, really, but I nod anyway if it’ll get her to give a straight answer._

**AIKA** : I suppose someone will have to drop dead for you to find out.

 **ALENA** : ...Not funny.

 **AIKA** : It’s a little funny.

 **SHUJI** : So if it’s not that, what is it?

_She takes another long drag and blows the smoke in my direction. I stifle a cough, and Alena covers her mouth with her jacket._

**AIKA** : You’re too simple to understand.

_With that, she brushes past us and exits the room._

**ALENA** : And I thought Katherine-san was scary…

 **SHUJI** : I’m not scared of her. She just seems like a jerk, but I bet she’s harmless.

_Rather, I hope she’s harmless._

_We cross through the door that Aika had come in from, and find ourselves in a vast and marvelous kitchen. Everything is so shiny and clean it almost hurts my eyes. There’s a gigantic refrigerator, a gleaming stove, loads of utensils on magnetized strips and I can only assume filling the drawers. There are more doors that lead to open pantries and cabinets, and a small vent near the walk-in freezer with a small crowd around it._

**BO** : Maybe if we covered him in oil!

 **LANI** : No, I’m pretty sure I could fit. I’m just not super great in the upper body strength department, so climbing back up would be…

 **PV** : We’re not even sure if this leads to escape. I can’t even ascertain what it’s for…

 **MIKI** : If it doesn’t lead _out_ then it’s gotta be venting something from a lower room, right?

 **PV** : Or perhaps it’s being used to vent in fresh air for all of us, so we don’t die in here except at one another’s hands.

 **MIKI** : Yeesh, okay. Way to make it morbid.

 **PV** : Sorry.

 **LANI** : Maybe if we found some rope I could get in there!

 **SHUJI** : Please don’t tell me you’re trying to wiggle into a vent in a murder house.

 **LANI** : Okay, I won’t!

 **SHUJI** : You won’t do it or you won’t tell me you’re doing it?

 **LANI** : [Mischievous smile.] Bo-san, find as much canola oil as you can and--

 **SHUJI** : Yeah I’m putting a stop to this.

 **PV** : I think I have to agree. We should reassess and return to this avenue later. How does that sound?

 **BO** : Hmm. After much thought, I’m thinking shoving Lani-sama in the vent still sounds more fun.

 **PV** : Is it fun you’re after?

 **BO** : Did I say fun? I meant...uh...scholarly…

 **PV** : [Amused.] Scholarly?

 **BO** : Agyros-sama! That’s you, isn’t it? The leaves on your shirt betray your identity!

 **ALENA** : Guh?

 **BO** : Am I using the right word in Japanese? Scholarly?

 **ALENA** : I don’t know…How do you know my name?

 **LANI** : I mentioned you! Both of you, actually.

_Lani pulls his legs out of the vent and gets to his feet, delicately replacing the grate across the vent before turning to beam at us._

**SHUJI** : Only good things, I hope?

 **LANI** : Loads of good stuff! I mean, I don’t know either of you that well yet. So there’s nothing bad to talk about!

 **MIKI** : Yet.

 **LANI** : Yeah! I sure did abandon you guys. Did you get to explore at all while I was gone?

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, we’re pretty much done with exploring now. You’ve been gone a while.

 **MIKI** : I guess you lose track of time when your legs are in a vent?

 **BO** : Time simply doesn’t flow the same when you’re not subject to gravity.

_I blink._

_Nobody else seems particularly alarmed by that statement, but I feel pretty taken off guard by it. I suppose if I were ever going to expect that sequence of words, it would be from someone in an alien hoodie that entirely obscures their face._

**PV** : Perhaps we should begin gathering the others, so we can talk about what we’ve found.

 **LANI** : That’s a great idea!

 **PV** : Would you do the honors?

 **LANI** : Sure!

_Without another word, Lani jogs out of the kitchen. He really is always moving._

_So we’re left with these three. And they are all uniquely a sight for sore eyes. It’s a lot to take in._

_The one who is immune to gravity is wearing, as previously mentioned, a bright green alien-themed hoodie that covers their eyes, seeming to replace their own eyes with the blank black eyes of an extraterrestrial, in addition to some of the ugliest shorts I’ve ever seen in my life. I think their shoes might be heelies._

_The one who was speaking reason has a triangle for hair. I don’t know how it works. Maybe_ they _should be the one claiming to be resisting gravity? Their clothes are bright and aggressive at the same time, despite their neutral expression._

_And the last one is wearing a Harajuku style of clashing tones and an innate refusal to dress to modern standards. There’s something I can respect about that, but the headband with mouse ears seems like a little much._

**SHUJI** : So, uh…

 **MIKI** : Let me guess. You weren’t paying any attention during intros?

 **SHUJI** : That’s...a way of saying it.

 **PV** : And what would be another way to phrase that, I wonder?

 **SHUJI** : Well, you see, I’m a big dumbass who can’t take in too much information at once.

 **ALENA** : That’s not true.

 **SHUJI** : You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m an average sized--

 **BO** : You’re funny!

 **SHUJI** : I am?

 **MIKI** : No he’s not.

 **PV** : I like him.

 **SHUJI** : Thanks!

 **MIKI** : But you don’t know our names, is the point, right?

 **SHUJI** : Nope. I’m actually really sorry about that. I’m--

 **PV** : Don’t bother. Lani-san already told us about you both. He thinks very highly of you.

 **MIKI** : He thinks highly of everyone.

 **PV** : Admirable. Maybe a little foolish or naive, but admirable.

 **MIKI** : I don’t know about you, but I don’t go around admiring naive fools.

 **BO** : Why don’t we introduce ourselves!

 **SHUJI** : I’m on board with that plan.

 **MIKI** : [Sighs.] Fine. Does this ring any bells?

_They pull a yoyo out of their jacket pocket and bob it up and down lazily, then look right at me._

_It comes to me like lightning._

**SHUJI** : Oh my God are you the yoyo kid?

 **MIKI** : One and the same. Name’s Miki Dan. I do yoyos. I’m pretty good at them.

_I could guess that Miki has won a few yoyoing competitions, and I’ve seen the ad on the internet for their patented yoyo, but everyone knows that’s not what they’re famous for. They’re famous for being the Yoyo Kid meme._

_Basically, there was a video of a kid--Miki, I guess--doing yoyo tricks in Harajuku when a cop walked along and threatened to fine them. They lashed out with the yoyo, knocking his hat off, and ran away as fast as they could. The exact moment the yoyo knocked the hat off his head got screencapped, and labeled._

_I hate that I know this._

**BO** : Do a trick! Do a trick!

 **MIKI** : I’ve already done like eight tricks. Leave me alone.

 **BO** : Then teach me!

 **MIKI** : Maybe later. When we’re not in a murder mansion.

 **BO** : Alright!

 **SHUJI** : I’m glad you’re thinking about the future. I don’t want people to think we’re actually gonna stay in here forever.

 **PV** : Yes but…

 **MIKI** : Oh, what is it now?

 **PV** : If someone truly does get the idea in their head that they’re owed the right to escape, perhaps they’ll take matters into their own hands.

 **SHUJI** : What, and take a knife to a wall and dig their way out?

 **PV** : …

 **SHUJI** : C’mon, guys, we can’t keep thinking about murder. It’s just not going to happen.

 **MIKI** : I’m with sweater-kid. If we treat this seriously, then someone’s gonna take it seriously.

 **BO** : I like the knife in the wall idea! How long would it take to put a knife through dry-wall?

 **PV** : We’re not allowed any destruction of the Host’s property, as it were.

 **BO** : Nuts. Is that what it says?

 **MIKI** : Yes? Did you not read them?

 **BO** : [Shrugs.] Not my job to read stuff.

_Oh, here’s an excuse to ask for an introduction. Score!_

**SHUJI** : What is your job?

 **ALENA** : And name?

_The kid in the alien hoodie whirls in place, striking a pose._

**BO** : [JoJo Pose] I am Bo Moreau and my job is to believe the incredible!

 **ALENA** : Uhh…

_They launch into a speech that displays more advanced vocabulary than they’ve been using so far, striking me as rehearsed._

**BO** : I study and report on unbelievable but frequent occurrences! I am Bo Moreau, and the lights in the sky are here. It’s time to accept that.

_The speech does seem really familiar to me, but I’m afraid to go out on a limb. My whole brain is still moderately fuzzy after being knocked out earlier, after all._

_Fortunately, the taller foreigner nudges them._

**PV** : They want to know what you were accepted for.

 **BO** : Oh! Haha, duh. I’m a Ufologist! Have you seen my show?

**SHUJI** : _That’s_ what I recognize you from!

 **MIKI** : Watch a lot of paranormal shows, Saji-san? Pfft…

 **SHUJI** : Ghost hunting, bigfoot researching, and UFO spotting shows are a balm for the soul, I’ll have you know!

 **BO** : Yay! Agreed! Are you a believer?

_Ruh-roh._

**SHUJI** : Well, I think it’s more likely there are aliens out there than the idea that we’re alone in the universe.

_Bo lurches forward and grabs my hands. Alena muffles a scream, but all Bo does is gaze into my eyes--as much as they can do through the mesh in their hoodie._

**BO** : You are not alone! I was sent to--

 **MIKI** : C’mon, drop the alien schtick.

 **BO** : It’s not a stick! It’s true! I was left here for a purpose. I’m an ambassador to Earth and I will do my job! Hope’s Peak acknowledged me!

 **MIKI** : They acknowledged that you have a popular TV show.

_It’s true, their TV show is pretty popular. I wasn’t kidding about it being a balm for the soul. It mostly comes up late at night, and it’s pretty entertaining after a long day. You watch a kid like Bo--hoodie down, usually--running around and talking to anyone who had a strange encounter. They approach it pretty academically, but their grasp on Japanese is a little loose and they’re so excitable it reads more like Ghost Harassers than Animal Planet._

_I don’t know if good ol’ HPA would award a talent based on being an actual alien from outer space, but they’d definitely notice a popular show._

**PV** : It is true that you aren’t Super High School Level Alien…

 **BO** : And you’re not Super School Level Frenchman, are you?

 **PV** : Excellently countered.

 **MIKI** : Fine, but don’t expect me to believe you’re actually an alien. I’m not that crazy yet.

 **BO** : It’s okay!

 **PV** : Lots of ignorant people find solace in believing only the things they can understand.

 **MIKI** : Like fucking vaporwave? Is that what you’re talking about? I’m ignorant because I don’t understand the only kind of music that isn’t a real genre?

 **PV** : How do I put this...yes. That does make you ignorant.

 **ALENA** : (What is vaporwave?)

 **SHUJI** : (It’s like music.)

 **ALENA** : (Like? Music?)

 **PV** : That’s a relatively apt way to put it. What I make is _like_ music. It is many things. Similar to music is one of them.

 **SHUJI** : So I take it you’re a vaporwave artist?

 **PV** : That’s what I was accepted as, yes. I’m also a linguist, a musician in the old fashioned sense, and a promoter of my own brand.

 **MIKI** : Is the brand called ‘batshit crazy’?

 **PV** : The brand is myself. I’m sure you’re familiar, with your Stylish yoyo?

 **MIKI** : What we do is really different.

_The vaporwave artist visibly rolls their eyes, and turns back to Alena and I._

**PV:** My brand is myself, as I said. I am 「 Pure Virtual 」.

 **BO** : [In awe.] _How did you do that with your mouth?_

__

**MIKI** : I hate that. You really expect people to call you Virtual-san?

 **PV** : Everyone else may call me that, yes. You have to call me Virtual-sama.

 **MIKI** : UGH!!

 **BO** : Virtual-sama is a very cool name! Did you choose it?

 **PV** : Yes, I did. Though my parents have no respect for it. You might have read about it…

_I think I did, actually. Vaporwave is a pretty niche genre, but having spent any time at all on the internet, I’ve heard some of it. Plus, if I’m remembering right, 「 Pure Virtual 」is beyond the typical vaporwave level of fame. Their songs got played on the radio due to family connections, which had a lot of people talking about how they’re a sell out, and after they got accepted their parents--some bigwigs in France I guess--published their name and age and everything. Since vaporwave is typically an anonymous genre, I’m sure that didn’t go over well._

_I stop myself in my train of thought._

_I hate that I know enough about memes to recognize one, and have enough surface level vaporwave knowledge to know this much._

_It helps that it was in a pop culture magazine, though. Gotta read something while getting a haircut, right?_

**BO** : Old people don’t respect anything.

 **MIKI** : That’s the truth.

 **PV** : They respect themselves and their money.

 **MIKI** : Can we all agree we hate rich old people?

 **SHUJI** : I can get behind that.

 **BO** : Rich people suck!

 **PV** : Maybe we should be careful, in case any one of us turns out to be very wealthy. Katayama-san, for example, seems to be quite the inheritor. We don’t want to hurt their feelings, do we?

 **ALENA** : Rich people don’t have feelings.

_All eyes turn to her, surprised at such a strong statement, and she squeaks in embarrassment before we all start laughing._

**MIKI** : Hear hear! Fish-eyes is right!

 **ALENA** : I am?

_We laugh some more, and this time she joins in. I nudge her with my shoulder, smiling, as if to indicate that everything is going to be alright, and she smiles back._

_It’s at this lull in the conversation that Lani bursts in._

**LANI** : Hey guys! Everyone’s meeting in the dining room! I gathered everyone I could find.

 **SHUJI** : Good job, buddy.

_The dining room is now full to bursting, with almost everyone standing around the table and talking amongst themselves. At a quick glance, I notice that Isei and Katherine are missing, but I decide not to make a big deal out of it. Notably, from this side of the room I can see a clock hanging above the entrance to the dining room. Apparently, it’s 2 PM._

_As we enter, Aika turns to face us._

**AIKA:** Tch…

 **FUMI:** What is it now? If you keep teasing people I’m going to be very upset with you.

 **AIKA:** Nothing to do with you, MILF.

 **FUMI** : _[Blushing angrily]_ I’ll have you know that for some people that’s a very nice compliment!

 **NORIKO:** If you won’t remain civil, I shall have to make you.

 **AIKA:** Ooh, are you gonna gag me?

 **NORIKO:** If I must.

 **AIKA:** I’m winking under the sunglasses.

 **FUMI:** Stop that!

 **AIKA:** Make me…

 **YUI:** I’m sorry, I was under the impression that this is a group of recently graduated adults. It seems I’m actually in the presence of a bunch of annoying children! Be quiet, for the love of God!

 **KYO:** Hey girl, be nice. I’m sure this is stressful for everyone and you don’t need to add to it, right? But...really...shut the hell up, guys.

 **LANI:** You know, I was gonna announce our presence as soon as we came in but it didn’t seem like a good time until now.

 **SHUJI:** Uh, hi guys!

 **HEIJI:** Oh hey dudes! We’ve been collating some info on the mansion. Wanna join in?

 **ALENA:** ...Collating?

 **HEIJI:** Yah, like the collection and combination of. Dig it?

 **MASANORI:** Oh, so the surfer pig has a brain? Color me surprised.

 **HEIJI** : _[Laughing.]_ Aw, man, I wouldn’t go that far. I learned it from my sis. She’s got a titanic vocab.

 **MASANORI:** I stand corrected, thank fucking god.

 **NORIKO:** If I have to tell you to be quiet one more time, it _will_ come with a slap.

 **BO:** No slapping!

 **ROXXY:** I think slapping should be allowed in this case, because I don’t like him.

 **SHUJI:** We found the dorms! Did anybody else find the dorms?

 **LANI:** They were creepy! Let’s talk about those!

 **KYO:** Goodness, this group really is at each other’s throats at the drop of a pin. How did we survive high school together?

 **YUI:** Without an authority figure such as a teacher, who’s to say we wouldn’t have murdered each other over not sharing homework answers…

 **SHUJI:** I think we can all agree that The Fey is a shitty homeroom teacher, but I think we can still go without murder. C’mon, let’s do what Heiji said. Colgate!

 **FUMI:** Collate.

 **SHUJI:** Right. Let’s!

 **ROXXY:** Well, I found out none of our cellphones work. These tablet things the Fey-sensei gave us is a rulebook, but it’s also a map. I’ve been looking it over and it doesn’t even seem to be built to have a wifi connection, so I’m not sure how it expects to update with more rules if Fey-sensei decides to.

 **KATA:** Could use a USB or something, plug it in while we’re asleep.

 **MIKI:** As if anybody’s gonna be falling asleep in the fucking murder mansion…

 **ROXXY:** Anyway, I’m not super-duper with tech stuff, and I only looked at it for a couple minutes before I was on window-prying duty...so if somebody has like, you know...know-how or anything, I’d appreciate that.

 **KATA:** Actually I looked at it too.

 **MASANORI:** Wow, the pretty boy is just as air headed as the dumbass magi--ACK.

 **BO:** No slapping!! Did I not say it? Was it not in Japanese?

 **NORIKO:** My apologies. I’ll try to refrain from further...slapping.

 **KYO:** I like the technicality. I hope this means kicks are allowed.

 **YUI:** Hrm.  
**  
** **KYO:** I mean solely in the case of Nishimuraya-san, when he’s being awful. That’s all! I don’t want to interrupt. What did you find, Ama-san?

 **KATA:** My guess based on walking around and the map provided is that there’s at least a couple more floors, and when some condition is met, the map will be updated as we’re allowed to explore further.

 **ALENA:** C-Condition?

 **ISEI:** Like murder, obviously.

_Everyone turns, startled by a voice from behind us. Isei entered the room when we weren’t looking, I guess. I wonder how long he’d been there…_

**KYO:** Let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t really know what this Fey creature wants, after all. Maybe if a high enough ransom is paid, or if we do its bidding…

 **MIKI:** How fucking blind can you be? The rules say we’re meant to murder each other. If we’re not murdering just to get out, who’s to say someone won’t do you in for a new hallway to walk through?

 **SHUJI:** Wow, have a little faith, guys! Nobody is going to murder another human being just for some new rooms, okay?

 **MIKI:** Ooh, look at you, Mr. I Have Faith In Humanity. Go choke.

 **SHUJI:** I really don’t think that was an insult?

 **BO** : I checked the kitchen. Good stuff, very good. State of the art equipment, lots of produce and meats, a walk-in freezer, many drinks, an ice-maker...Could be the kitchen from a restaurant, I think.

 **PV:** They even stocked us with wine. And knives...a lot of knives.

 **MASANORI** : Great, for you French idiots to kill me with. I always knew somebody French would try to kill me. I knew it.

_Noriko sighs deeply. I’m tempted to do the same, but I keep it in._

**BO** : Ah, you’re mistaken, I am not French.

 **PV:** Could’ve fooled me.

 **LANI:** Are you half Japanese?

 **BO:** You could say I’m...out of this world…

 **PV:** Ah yes, like an alien ambassador. Forgive my forgetfulness.

 **BO:** Yes!! You understand, oh, I knew you would!

 **MASANORI:** Oh. An alien. I’m surrounded by _murderous headcases._

 **KATA:** Implying your run of the mill murderer isn’t a headcase?

 **ISEI:** Let’s not call anybody crazy, okay?

 **MASANORI:** Oh, sure thing, you can join with the _lunatic_ over there in the not- _insane_ group!

 **NORIKO:** I will tie you up if I need to.

 **AIKA:** Can I get tied up instead?

 **NORIKO:** *even deeper sigh*

 **ALENA:** Can we...change the subject….please?

 **SHUJI** : Agreed. Soga-san, you’re one of the last to join us. Did you find anything helpful?

 **ISEI:** _[Blushing.]_ I...no. Maybe. I need to think about it.

 **YUI:** Kyo and I found a sitting room, of sorts.

 **KYO** : It seems to be a pretty good group area. I’m not sure it could fit all of us comfortably at a time, but if smaller groups went in there to hang out, it looks pretty relaxing. There’s cocoa and a fireplace.

 **NORIKO** : I checked out the dorms, and there’s one room in that...hotel hallway thing that isn’t a bedroom. It’s a storage room filled with random items--potted plants, statuettes, cleaning supplies, gym clothes--and a gacha machine.

 **PV:** That sounds like a real convenient deus-ex-machina for the writers…

 **NORIKO:** Additionally, there is a room near the dormitories that is situated for doing laundry.

 **MASANORI:** It’s not a normal laundry mat type place. It looks like it used to be a sitting room or something and was gutted and replaced with all the plumbing for washers and dryers.

 **KYO:** What? We’re expected to do our own laundry? You’d think if we’re being trapped, our kidnapper could at least wash our clothing…

 **YUI:** I’m more astonished that Nishimuraya-san said something not immediately abrasive.

 **MASANORI:** Bitch.

 **YUI:** Ah, there it is.

 **LANI:** We snooped out the dorms, too. They’re cushy stuff, super nice digs. They’re closer to suites than just school dorms or anything, with their own bathrooms and everything.

 **ALENA:** They’re soundproof.

 **AIKA:** Completely?

_Alena nods seriously, staring at all of us with those big ol’ eyes._

**AIKA:** Fun.

 **MIKI:** What? No! Not fun! Murder! We need to focus on how to get out of here, not shitty pillows and bathrooms!

 **HEIJI:** Well, Fumi and I went looking for an unlocked door or a window or something, but no dice.

 **FUMI:** Rose-san helped my brother try to pry some of the iron away from the windows, but even with their combined strength they couldn’t get it to budge. It seems like the only way to get out right now is...I mean...I’m sorry.

 **LANI:** Hey, Kaimi-chan! Don’t worry, it’s just like Saji-kun said. Nobody’s gonna hurt each other! Especially if Noriko keeps tying people up!

 **AIKO:** Hot.

 **FUMI** : I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to...bring it up…

 **BO** : It’s okay! We’re all going to be alright!

 **FUMI:** I just want to go home.

_Everyone falls silent for a while. If even the gentlest of us has murder on the mind...well, that doesn’t bode well. I watch as people exchange suspicious looks, or look to the ones they know and trust, and I don’t know what to say. What platitude even works for this situation?_

_Katherine walks in at this point, as if sensing the tension and being drawn to it._

**KATHERINE:** Jesus, did someone die already?

 **MIKI:** You’d think so from these sad sacks. Where the hell have you been?

 **KATHERINE:** Nowhere.

 **NORIKO:** Ueda-san, you’re fairly late to the gathering.

 **KATHERINE:** I wasn’t told there was a gathering. Didn’t mean to be late.

_Katherine drapes herself over a chair, looking distant._

**KATA:** Anyway, taking a break from whatever the hell that was, I also found bathrooms separate from the dorms. They’re pretty close to here, actually. Just toilets and sinks, no showers. There’s a lock on the door, but it’s flimsy.

 **ISEI:** I checked ‘em out too. Could be kicked open or picked real simple.

 **LANI:** I can’t imagine why anyone would wanna use one of those when we have our own private bathrooms.

 **PV:** Yeah, public bathrooms are disgusting.

 **AIKA:** Anyone going in there is basically asking to be murdered…

 **NORIKO:** I have a proposition to make.

 **AIKA:** And here I thought I was propositioning you.

 **NORIKO** : Ugh.

 **AIKA** : Wink.

 **ALENA** : Oh my god.

 **NORIKO:** There are the rules provided by our...Host, but there’s nothing saying we can’t create our own rules. I believe coming up with safety measures to protect ourselves and each other would be easier with rules.

 **YUI:** I agree. If we can have a democratic system of laws and punishments, then perhaps nothing drastic will come to pass.

 **KYO:** Lovin’ the confidence, girl. Noro-san, what do you have in mind?

 **NORIKO:** The first is that nobody use the public bathrooms unless in case of emergency.

 **YUI:** How do we define emergency? It seems like an easy way to get out of the rule by claiming you just _really_ needed to use the restroom.

 **NORIKO:** Hmm, you have a point.

 **YUI:** I propose that we abolish all use of the public restrooms. This building isn’t so large that you couldn’t get to your own suite in a timely manner, and none of us are so young or old as to have difficulty with our bladders.

 **NORIKO:** Agreed. Let’s have a show of hands, alright? Does anyone oppose this as a de facto rule for our group?

_Glances are exchanged, but nobody raises their hand._

**YUI:** A unanimous agreement. Furthermore, what does everyone think about this mention of ‘Night Time’ in the rulebook?

 **HEIJI:** Yeah, what’s that about? Since when is Killer-Fairy tryna make sure we catch some Z’s?

 **FUMI:** I guess we can’t properly kill each other on not enough sleep?

 **HEIJI:** Oh yikes…

 **AIKA:** It’s about control.

 **MASANORI:** I swear to fucking god if you make another sex joke I’m ripping out my own eyes here and now.

 **AIKA:** No, you dipshit. It’s a system of control. If they’re testing us, doing some kind of fucked up experiment to see how gifted kids tick under pressure, then they need some elements of control. As many variables need to remain consistent as possible. If we’re all getting the same amount of sleep, sleeping in the same or similar places, and doing shit at the same time every day? It makes it easier to collect data.

 **KYO:** You think this is some kind of science experiment?

 **AIKA:** Would explain all the cameras.

 **ROXXY:** Unless it’s a reality TV thing. Big Brother meets Battle Royale, much?

 **AIKA:** Is that so different from an experiment?

 **KATHERINE:** Or some fucked up snuff film. We’d make pretty players in a horror flick, wouldn’t we?

 **PV:** So say some rich dickhead is using us for entertainment, or an experiment. Does it make that much of a difference to us?

 **ROXXY:** Why’s he gotta be rich?

 **BO:** Why’s he gotta be a he?

 **ROXXY:** Okay, why’s _she_ gotta be rich?

 **MIKI:** God, get gender politics out of this! Go for the neutral they!

 **PV:** Duh, this is a mansion. There’s an advanced robot telling us what to do and watching our every move. There’s some kind of memory work at play here. That’s gotta take money.

 **KATHERINE:** Or connections.

 **YUI:** While this is all very interesting, it’s all entirely theoretical. What I would like to discuss is the rule itself. Given that certain rooms will be closed, and many of us will be asleep, I would like to establish a rule that none of us leave our suites in the established Night Time.

 **MIKI:** No fucking way.

 **KATA:** Mm, hard disagree.

 **MASANORI:** My sleep schedule is way beyond too fucked to abide by that. You want me to be bored as shit for hours every night?

 **YUI:** I’d like you to survive.

 **NORIKO:** It’s a good idea, but unless it’s a unanimous vote, it won’t be followed anyway.

 **YUI:** If we had a system of punishments to back it up...ah, but alas, we do not.

 **MASANORI:** What, you’re giving up so soon? You’re not gonna have your attack dog come after me with her meaty fucking man hands?

 **YUI:** If I began to enforce corporal punishment for my made up rules, I would be as bad as The Fey.

 **MASANORI:** Oh, you caught on? You’re a power hungry maniac as is. How do we know you weren’t the one who put us here?!

 **YUI:** I suppose you don’t.

 **MIKI:** Burn the witch! She practically admitted to it!

 **YUI:** Since all of us are lacking memories, it’s impossible to say even to myself if I’m the one who put this together. Still, I doubt it. I like to think of myself as smart enough not to put together a practically suicidal plan like this.

 **KYO:** Suicidal? How?

 **YUI:** Even if nobody kills each other, when the host of this extravaganza is inevitably caught, they will be tried with kidnapping and endangerment at the absolute minimum. Attempted murder as well, if I’m any judge. And if they do not get caught, who is to say that one of us would not target them as a victim, even unknowing of their status as mastermind?

 **KYO:** Wow, that never even occurred to me…So it doesn’t matter trying to figure out who did it, right? There’s no way they’re in here with us.

 **KATA:** I think they’re one of us.

 **SHUJI:** What? Why? I think Suzuki-san’s thought it through pretty thoroughly, and I really don’t think encouraging distrust amongst the group is a solid idea.

 **KATA:** Because the tablets don’t update wirelessly, as Rose pointed out. Someone would have to be in here, updating The Fey, updating the tablets, as we go. Being in a remote location wouldn’t work, they’d always have to be going back and forth which would be suspicious.

 **ISEI:** And, if they don’t want to get caught, framing themself as one of the victims is pretty smart.

 **SHUJI:** Hmm...I guess that’s a good point…

 **MIKI:** What, you’re not gonna ask for a show of hands to see who the mastermind is?

 **SHUJI:** Seriously?

 **MIKI:** Hey everyone, is anyone here the person responsible? Did you kidnap us and try to get us to kill each other?

_Nobody moves._

**MIKI:** Just as I thought. I guess we’re all safe. Nobody did it. Tch.

 **SHUJI:** Hey, Dan-san?

 **MIKI:** What.

 **SHUJI:** You’re kindof a little prick, you know that?

 **MIKI:** I’ve been told.

 **SHUJI:** I’m gonna go to my room. I need to gather my thoughts…

_I leave the dining room, frustrated but not knowing what to do with it. I’ve never been the type to take initiative or inspire a group, I always just kept to myself and my small group of friends...but I feel like if I don’t do something, the worst imaginable could come to pass. I walk in the direction of the “Hotel,” but before I get there, I hear footsteps behind me._

_A moment of pure terror wracks my body as I slowly turn. Is this it? Do I die here, before a day has even passed? Has my faith been rewarded so unjustly?_

**ISEI:** Hey man.

_Oh, it’s just Isei. Now I feel like an idiot for being so scared. He wouldn’t come up to my face and kill me. Nobody would!_

**SHUJI:** What’s up? Sorry for storming out like that.

 **ISEI:** It’s fine, I think everybody needs a sec to think. I just wanted to say that I think Agyros really appreciated your company. She doesn’t seem the type to say it outright, so I thought I’d put in my two cents.

 **SHUJI:** Really? Wow, that’s really nice of you.

 **ISEI:** I get it. I have trouble talking in front of crowds. I don’t know if this whole...murder thing is real, or what’s gonna happen. But nice people like you are gonna make it so we can survive the whole ordeal.

 **SHUJI:** I don’t know what to say…

 **ISEI:** Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you around.

_I walk back to my room feeling a little better. Isei might look a little intimidating, but it’s nice to know that he’s pretty shy. He also must be crazy observant to notice Alena’s feelings, as quiet as she is. I hope I can make a friend out of him eventually, but for now I really need to get my own head in order._

_The bed looks plush as heaven, but it’s only mid afternoon, and I’m not ready for a nap. I sit down at the desk and pull out the stationary. I start by writing a list of each person I met today--or, rather, each person who introduced themself, since I must have met them all before._

_I may have made a big fuss about not wanting to suspect anyone, but I think it’s only natural to want to solve a mystery when it’s presented to you. I don’t have very many clues now, but if they’re right and the so-called Host is among us...well, it’s better to be safe than sorry._

_Before I know it, I’ve written everything I know about each person and underlined anything that seems important. It’s not a lot, and I’m already exhausted. That plush bed beckons once more…_

_Well, I’m in murder mansion. It’s not like I’ll be missing out on doing homework or going to a movie or something. I might as well sleep…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up is gonna be all the info Shuji writes down! So if you're getting confused on who is who, chapter 4 is gonna be where you'll want to look until after the trial or some other major plot event!
> 
> How are you liking this so far? Got any bets for first victim? First killer? Mastermind? I'd love to hear your guesses and theories!


	4. Profile Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Shuji knows about everyone!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now updated to have visuals!

 

 

 

> She does what she can to upset and disturb people, with dirty jokes or just making light of the situation we're in, but she seems to have a brain in her head. I'm not sure what her talent actually means, but...I'm not sure I want to find out, either.

* * *

I think I can call her a friend at this point. She's extremely shy, but I can take the pressure off her a little bit. She doesn't seem to have a complete command on Japanese yet, but that's okay. I think she said she was Greek

* * *

 I haven't really gotten a read on them yet. They seem pretty flashy, given that they insist they're from outer space, and I've seen them on TV before. They make for good entertainment, but I'm not sure about them as a person yet. As an alien? I don't know about that either.

* * *

I wonder if the Mom pin is legit, or if she's just the mom friend of the group. She seems gentle and caring, but won't stand for Akiyama-san's nonsense, which I respect. It must be nice having family in here with you.

* * *

A nice guy, all in all, if a little simplistic in his approach to things. I think his positive attitude is gonna be a real help until we get kidnapped. He's very protective of his sister and otherwise completely easy going. I guess that's what I'd expect from a surfer.

* * *

 For all his style and bravado, he seems super nice. He's scared to talk in front of crowds, which is cute in a way, and it definitely humanizes him. His attitude is pretty inconsistent though. He's obviously smart and observant, and gets aggressive when people talk shit, but is otherwise perfectly polite. I wonder if it's from doing all those biographies on criminals? He must spend time with them. Still...I think he's sweet.

* * *

He seems...cold. Especially for someone who deals with love for a living. He's put together, and seems to know a lot about technology, which I guess makes sense since he's a programmer. Still, he's not what I expected at all.

* * *

 I watched Little Miss Snowie movies when I was a kid, but I haven't heard a lot about her since then. I guess it's typical for Child Stars to drop off the face of the earth after puberty. She's...I don't know how to put it. Quiet. When she does speak, it's in a monotone. What's with her? She gives me the heebie-jeebies.

* * *

 They throw charity galas, where people have to pay loads of money to get in, and that money goes to charity. They've raised a lot of money for LGBT kids in the city, and that means a lot to me personally. Now having met them? They're what you'd expect. Charming, carefree, and give off the air of being dependable. I haven't gotten much one on one time with them yet, but I plan to.

* * *

I don't mean to speak ill of others but...what a complete asshole. He says whatever comes into his head, and what he does say is usually cruel. He's so hateful! Usually I would just avoid him, but given the whole murder mystery adventure I seem to be apart of...he worries me. If anyone's gonna be a victim of a horrible crime, it's him.

* * *

They are...well, Dan-san is a lot. They're abrasive, but mostly to people who are abrasive to them first. They seem to be lashing out at me for being so positive, which I don't really get, but they don't seem to mean anyone genuine harm? I have mixed feelings. They're not as bad as Nishimuraya-san, at least...I could say that about anyone here though.

* * *

Noro-san is going to be a literal lifesaver in here. She's got this strict moral code to protect people, and has already figured out who needs it the most. If anyone's in trouble, I'm sure if they just come to her everything will be okay. I trust that nobody here  _wants_ to kill, but I trust her the most. She's a literal knight in shining armor! What's not to trust?

* * *

Lani-san is already another friend of mine. His whole demeanor is like sunlight, which I guess is fitting for his title. He's helpful, non assuming, and generally fun to hang out with. I worry that since he's so small, he'll be a target. I'll have to keep an eye out. I mean, what am I gonna do? Leap in and save him? I have no idea. But I'll try.

* * *

I haven't gotten a firm read on them yet. They seem a little stuck up, but not mean about it if that makes any sense? So far they've been keeping to themself mostly. I'll have to get to know them better.

* * *

 

I'm writing down what I know about everyone, and since there's some holes in my memories, it can't hurt to write about myself too. I definitely went to Hope's Peak Academy. I remember the graduation ceremony. People recognize my face. But I have absolutely no idea what I did to get there. Am I famous? How could I be famous? I remember a lot of things that would definitely indicate a lack of fame and fortune...Hmm...

* * *

Roxxy-chan is sweet, and I already trust her. She's so straightforward, and definitely smarter than she lets on with her whole bubbly girl personality. She seems more tech savvy than you'd think, but is ultimately an entertainer at heart. I like her a lot already, and I'm sure she's going to protect people as best she can.

* * *

I don't know anything about her work, but I respect her a lot. She has a sharp mind and a clear eye, which will definitely come in handy in figuring out how to get out of here. The points she raised about the person who did all this seem...apt. I just can't wrap my head around a motive to do all this, so it's helpful that some people seem to understand it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I am DONE fiddling with the formatting on this. ANYWAY! This chapter is going to stay as it is, and won't be edited with new information. After significant plot events, Shuji will write down more stuff that he knows about everyone, and it'll be a new chapter! Hopefully...with better...formatting....


	5. Chapter One: Persistence (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lull before the storm. Shuji makes breakfast, because nobody else knows how to.

**THE FEY** : It is now 7 in the morning. If you don’t get up now, you may never get up again!

_ Well, that’s the most threatening wake up call I’ve ever heard. I want to groan and roll back over; 7 AM is a bit early for me, but I know that sleep isn’t going to welcome me quite so easily. I went to bed ridiculously early last night, so I guess I shouldn’t be bothered by waking up early. _

_ Anyway, I have lots of other things to be bothered about. _

_ I crawl out of the bed and worm my way into the shower; the bed was so ungodly soft that it actually messed up my back. _

_ The water from the shower is hot, and never ending. I stand under it until I figure it’s worked it’s healing magic on my back, though it’s still got a lot of work to do on my psyche. _

_ It’s almost 8 AM by the time I’m done showering and getting dressed. I figure I might as well make the bed, and while I’m at it I tidy my desk--which means hiding the list I made of my fellow captives. I look around for other chores to do, as if I have some reason for wanting to stay in my room instead of facing the reality of the kidnapping slash attempted murder scenario. _

_ But that would be totally ridiculous! _

_ Yeah...Ridiculous… _

_ I swallow the lump in my throat and head out. There’s no time like the present. _

_ I leave my room, and try to figure out where to go from there. Before I can decide on anything, the tablet in my pocket pings. _

  1. **It is considered rude and wasteful to summon The Host without an express request or question. Only worthwhile conversations are permitted.**



_ I wonder if that has anything to do with Kyo and Yui teasing The Fey… _

_ Anyway, I’ve got a whole day ahead of me where I don’t think about The Fey, if I’ve got anything to say about it. _

_ It’s been an hour and change since the morning announcement, so I don’t know if anyone else is still in their rooms, but I give Alena’s door a knock to see if she’s around. _

_ She peeks out from behind her door, opening it barely by a crack. _

**ALENA** : Who is it…?

_ I kinda suspected as much. If I’m afraid of everything going on, she’s gotta be 4 times as afraid. Minimum. _

**SHUJI:** Oh, just me! Er--that is to say, Shuji. I thought I’d check on you!

**ALENA:** Shuji? Why?

**SHUJI:** Why check on you? I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you? Okay? You seemed pretty shaken up yesterday, which, don’t get me wrong, is very understandable.

**ALENA:** So what?

**SHUJI:** It’s just what friends do?

**ALENA:** Friends.

**SHUJI:** Yup. If you want me to leave you alone that’s okay, I was gonna check on Ozaki-kun next.

**ALENA:** Was he shaken too?

**SHUJI:** Less than you, that’s for sure, but he’s a nice guy and I want to make friends with people. Is that weird?

**ALENA:** …

**SHUJI:** ……

**ALENA:** Yes.

**SHUJI:** _[Laughs.]_ Well then I guess I’m a little weird.

**ALENA:** _[Smiling.]_ I am too. Can I come with?

**SHUJI:** Of course! 

_ She leaves her room and we cross the hall to Lani’s door. After some knocking and waiting, we figure out he’s not there and head to the dining room. As soon as I set foot in the dining room, my stomach growls. I mentally rub my hands together: it’s breakfast time, baby! The most important meal of the day! Also the one I know how to cook the best, I’m pretty sure. _

_ The dining room is half empty. Kyo, Yui, Katherine, Roxxy, Fumi, and Bo all lounge around the table. Katherine is sprawled across two chairs, which I guess makes sense considering she’s the size of an Amazon warrior, while everyone else sits in one chair at a time, making her look like a lounging king in a fuzzy pink outfit. _

**SHUJI:** Hey guys!

**KYO** : [Howdy…]

**YUI:** Saji-san and Agyros-san, welcome.

**ALENA** :  _ [Blank stare.] _ Hello.

**SHUJI:** Where’s everyone else?

**FUMI:** Mm, Heiji and some of the others are in the lounge. I think some people haven’t gotten up yet? There’s honestly not a lot to do around here, so I don’t blame them…

**KATHERINE:** Except murder.

**FUMI:** Uh, haha, y-yeah…

_ An awkward silence falls. _

**KYO** : [ _ Yawn.] _ I had really hoped we could wait until after breakfast to bring up, y’know, the dark underbelly of the mansion.

**SHUJI:** Oh, you haven’t eaten yet?

_ I’m willing to jump on any conversation topic that isn’t about death right now. _

**ROXXY:** No! And I’m starving!

**ALENA:** Then...eat?

**ROXXY:** Believe me, sister, I tried. Who knew how hard it was to scramble eggs?

**FUMI** : _ [holding back laughter] _ Rose-san put vinegar instead of soy sauce in the eggs, and while we tried to make a new batch, the pan we had on the stove started smoking.

**KATHERINE:** If the mansion burns down, does that count as damaging the fairy thing?

**ROXXY:** Shh! We stopped because of uhh...safety...concerns? I’m really, like, super bad at cooking.

**KYO:** A total disaster. I was taught to be an amateur pizzaiolo in Italy one summer, but there’s no wood fired oven, and pizza for breakfast is a little much…

**BO:** Human food is difficult to cook, okay? Like, there’s always fire and knives and yeesh, it’s not something an extra-terrestrial is really prepared for...

**YUI:** Unfortunately, none of us here specialized in any kind of cooking, so we’re at quite a loss.

**SHUJI:** _ [Laughing.] _ That’s hilarious, but don’t worry about it.

_ I go into the kitchen without another word. Alena follows me like a ghost, which I guess I should be used to after almost a day of it yesterday. _

_ Let’s see… I could do something basic, like eggs. I could do something even more basic, like plain rice. I could just microwave something. _

_ But since none of them know how to cook, and I guess I sorta do, I feel like I should give them something nice. After all, we’re all stuck in a murder house together. Maybe a nice breakfast will help people understand that killing is a bad thing. _

_ I feel like a genius, pulling eggs and chicken out of the fridge. Why hasn’t the law and order system figured out breakfast as a crime prevention tool yet? _

_ It doesn’t take long for me to put together a couple of bowls of oyakodon with Alena’s extremely attentive help. We work in silence; she sets out bowls and spoons rice into each while I set the chicken and egg to simmer. _

**SHUJI:** So, do you cook?

**ALENA:** No.

**SHUJI:** Then what are you doing right now?

**ALENA** : [Smiling.] ...Helping. 

**SHUJI:** Where’d you learn to do that?

**ALENA:** My mom cooked for our family. I’m oldest, so I help. Why garden if you’re not going to eat with it?

**SHUJI:** I mean, hypothetically, flowers are nice.

**ALENA:** Mm. They are. But vegetables are better.

**SHUJI:** And there’s nothing like fresh veggies for a home cooked meal. What’s your mom like?

_ This is the first time I’ve gotten her to open up at all, so I might as well push it as far as I can, right? _

**ALENA:** Beautiful. Yours?

**SHUJI:** Oh, I think the food’s ready. Can you bring over the bowls?

_ We bring out the food to the dining room and place the bowls in front of everyone. _

**ROXXY:** Oh my gosh, Shu-chan, you’re a chef!

**BO** : Rhish ish amazhing!

_ Bo’s already face deep in the oyakodon, and has become almost impossible to understand. But then again, what do I know? Maybe it’s an alien dialect. _

**KYO:** They’re not kidding, this isn’t bad.

**YUI:** It’s certainly superior to anything we could have made with our limited experience. Alas, even with our skill sets combined we could not make a decent breakfast.

**SHUJI:** Hey, next time? There’s a toaster in there. Just make some toast, it’s pretty hard to screw up. 

**ROXXY:** What, and give up on a treat like this?

**FUMI:** If we’ll be here for a while, you might as well teach us to cook!

**BO:** Oh no!

**KYO:** What’s wrong?

**BO:** We’ll make to make some for the lazy-bugs who did not wake and join us!

**ALENA:** There’s more.

**YUI:** What was that?

**SHUJI:** She said there’s more food. There’s still rice in the pot and the rest is on the stove still. They can help themselves.

**KYO:** If we can all be trusted not to light ourselves on fire as soon as we step foot in there, of course.

**SHUJI:** I’ll supervise if I have to, jeez.

_ The jovial mood is interrupted by Miki entering the room, looking full of righteous fury. _

**MIKI:** What are you idiots doing?!

**KATHERINE:** Eating…?

**KYO:** Dan-san! Saji-san made breakfast for all of us, and you’re free to join us!

**MIKI** : What, you think I can’t make my own goddamn food?

**YUI:** Well, can you?

_ Miki looks frustrated but says nothing. _

**KYO:** Neither can we, except for our dear friend here! Pull up a seat, take a load off, enjoy yourself!

**MIKI:** So, you’re all trapped in a murder house and you think it’s totally safe to just nosh on food someone else made you while nobody was looking?! You’re just asking to get poisoned!

**ROXXY:** It’s not like nobody was looking! Lena-chan was with him!

**ALENA:** ...Lena-chan?

**MIKI:** What, like they aren’t totally in cahoots? Aren’t you? Aren’t you in cahoots?

**ALENA:** What is...cahoots?

**SHUJI:** We’re friends! We made breakfast together because we’re friends!

**KATHERINE:** Sounds like cahoots to me…

**ROXXY:** What? Don’t push your food away! How dare you!

**FUMI:** Dan-san, why don’t you lay off them and go do something else?

**KYO:** Isn’t your attitude a little inconsistent, Dan-san? Yesterday you said nobody here was, what was it?

**YUI:** Quote Dumb Enough Unquote to kill anyone else.

**KYO:** Yeah, what’s with the shift is all I want to know.

**MIKI:** It’s just called common sense! The more we learn about this place, the more dangerous it seems! Did they tell you about the rat poison in the cupboards?

**ROXXY:** These two have been nothing but nice--if a little creepy with the staring, no offense Lena-chan--to us! If you’re going to be rude, go be rude somewhere else!

**KATHERINE:** They have a right to their opinion, Rose-san.

**ROXXY:** And I have a right to defend my friends from constant verbal abuse!

**ALENA:** ...friends…

**MIKI:** Whatever, you gargantuan freak! I’m trying to look out for you and stop you from getting. Poisoned. I’m a good fucking person, I don’t know what the hell you are.

_ Miki twirls and storms out, leaving Roxxy on the brink of tears with frustration. After a moment. Katherine gets up and follows them. Before I can collect my thoughts and reassure everyone that I had no intentions of poisoning anyone, Heiji wanders in with a grin. _

**HEIJI:** Oh hey, ‘sup! What’s with the mood in here?

**FUMI:** It was--

**HEIJI:** Oh man, belay that, what is that smell? My mouth is straight up watering, who did that?

**KYO:** Oyakodon! There’s some in the kitchen, help yourself!

_ Heiji half-sprints half-gallops into the kitchen and comes out with a bowl of food, his cheeks so full he looks like a chipmunk. It’s all I can do to keep from laughing. If nothing else, I’m glad people like my cooking. And it’s nice to have Heiji here to bring back some normalcy after Miki’s tantrum. _

**FUMI:** What’s up, Heiji? Get bored?

**HEIJI:** Yah. Nishimuraya-kun and Noro-chan were chillin’ in the lounge, so I hung out with them. Nishi-kun really does not dig my energy, I guess. He’s a surly dude. It was us, that goth chick, and the one with crazy weird fashion. What’s their name? It’s like, nouns.

**BO:** 「Pure Virtual」-sama! Aren’t they interesting?

**HEIJI:** Wow, you can do that stuff with your mouth too?

**BO:** It’s ‘cuz I’m alien.

**HEIJI:** Foreigners are so cool. Anyway, we were kickin’ it in the cushy chairs while the goth one made dirty jokes and I tried to start the fire.

**FUMI:** You probably shouldn’t be lighting fires indoors…

**HEIJI:** In the fireplace, I mean! The Fey came by and told us she’d light it if we asked nicely…

**KYO:** I imagine nobody asked nicely?

**ROXXY:** With Nishi-chan there I can only imagine she got cussed out and maybe something thrown at her.

**HEIJI:** Haha, yup! He threw his slipper at her!

**FUMI:** Wow, you guessed it!

**ROXXY:** I want to like, say that I’m super smart for guessing that but he’s a teensy bit predictable, right?

**YUI:** I really hope Noro-san does something about his behavior…

**HEIJI:** She threatened to tie him to a chair but the goth one got all worked up about that, so she didn’t. What’s up with you guys? I saw Dan-san take off in a huff with the giant pink girl following after.

**ROXXY:** UGH!

**FUMI:** We had a baby argument.

**HEIJI** : Oh sick, like an argument about babies?

**YUI** : I believe she means a small argument.

**HEIJI:** Aw, That’s lame. Who the heck cooked this? It’s so good! I tried making myself brekkie earlier but there wasn’t any protein powder and I couldn’t find a blender so I gave up.

**ALENA:** Shuji-san made it.

**SHUJI:** With some help! Did you ever get that fire started?

**HEIJI:** Nah, I was stuck using the goth girl’s lighter and it just wasn’t takin’ to the wood. I guess somebody’s gonna have to stomach bein’ nice to The Fey.

**SHUJI:** I can give it a shot.

**KYO:** You can cook AND light fires? We’ve got a modern day Da Vinci on our hands.

**YUI:** Impressive, he has the skills of a standard caveman.

**SHUJI:** Hey, cavemen could do lots of cool stuff. Did you know they just chased animals to death sometimes?

**ROXXY:** What? That’s bananas!

**SHUJI:** Haha, yeah. They just walked until the animals got too tired to keep going.

**BO:** Humans are savage…

**ALENA** : That’s scary.

**SHUJI:** Anyway, I’ll go over there to see if I can get a fire going. Wish me luck!

**ROXXY:** If you see Nishi-chan remember there’s no shame in hitting him.

**FUMI:** Rose-san!

**ROXXY:** Remember there’s some shame in hitting him!

**FUMI:** Better…

**SHUJI:** Don’t hit Nishimuraya, got it.

**KYO:** At least, if you do, feel a little bad about it.

**SHUJI:** Hey now, I can feel bad about just anything I do if I try. I’ll see you guys later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on structuring this chapter to be split into 4 parts: Introduction, Motive, Murder + Investigation, and then the trial. So, if things go according to plan, motive is up next chapter! Who do y'all think is gonna be the first victim? Tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter One: Persistence (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people take the time to be unpleasant, a motive is announced, and an attempt is made.

_ I meander down the hallways to find the lounge, where I haven’t been yet. I really missed out on a lot of exploration yesterday, I guess. Whatever, I caught up on sleep, I’m fine. _

**MASANORI:** Well, if I’m gonna be brutally honest here--

**NORIKO:** Don’t.

**AIKA:** I think we should let him speak. Honestly, I could write a paper on him.

**MASANORI:** Oh you think I’m your fucking lab rat?

**AIKA:** Lab rats are quieter. But do go on.

**PV:** SO WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A KNIGHT?

**MASANORI:** Jesus Christ why are you shouting?

**AIKA:** They’re ignoring you.

**NORIKO:** Thrilling, honestly. I get to do what I love and represent what matters to me every single day. It’s my entire identity.

**PV** : That’s really interesting. I find, as an artist, I draw lines between aspects of my identity to keep my art pure and separate from the capitalistic trappings of my everyday life. Is life as a performer so different?

**NORIKO:** There are lines to be drawn, as you said, but honestly I don’t think they’re so much walls between aspects of myself so much as sticks in the sand. I don’t bring my insecurities or fears to the jousting grounds, naturally.

**AIKA:** Splitting yourself like that can be really dangerous in a crisis, you know. Think if I attacked you with a knife right now; which you would you be? What if you split entirely?

**MASANORI:** What the fuck are you guys even talking about?!

**SHUJI:** Wow, this sounds like a really deep conversation.

**MASANORI:** Oh, our fucking hero is here. Got any pithy advice for us? Gonna tell us it’ll all be okay?

**SHUJI:** I guess I can if you want me to. I was gonna try to get that fire started.

**PV:** The surfer must have sent you.

**NORIKO:** Ah, I don’t suppose you plan on calling The Fey? I’m afraid that didn’t work last time.

**SHUJI:** Nah, I know how to start a fire. I heard Akiyama-san has a lighter?

**AIKA:** And you just believed what you were told?

**SHUJI:** ...Mhm?

**AIKA:** You’re in luck, nobody lied to you...this time…

**SHUJI:** Yeah, lucky me. Can I see it real quick?

**PV:** It is a little chilly in here.

**MASANORI:** That’s why he’s trying to start a fire, dumbass.

**AIKA:** You’d better be careful or someone’s gonna push Nishimuraya into the fire. Would that make the one who pushes him culpable, or the one who lit the fire? Here, you can have the lighter for now.

**SHUJI:** ….thanks…

_ Yeah, this group is a little less fun to hang out with than the last group. True, Katherine and Miki were a combination fire-cracker wet blanket duo, but at least Miki seems to be watching out for people in their...weird, aggressive way. Aika just makes me uncomfortable. _

_ After a few minutes and some picking at the wood to try to make kindling, the fire is going swimmingly. I turn around proudly to see if anyone noticed, but it seems like they’ve already gotten back to...whatever it was they were doing in here before I arrived. _

**AIKA:** I wonder why you fixate on figures of strength as inspiration, Noro-san. Is it because you feel small? Weak? Helpless? Was there a figure of strength in your childhood who rescued poor little Noriko Noro from big baddies?

**NORIKO:** I don’t fixate on figures of strength. I use my own strength to stand for those who have none, like our friend Nishimuraya-san here.

**MASANORI:** I’m not your goddamn friend!

**PV:** What about you? What makes you want to peel people’s brains apart and look at what’s inside? I bet you’re so caught up in other people’s problems you can’t even see yourself as the shallow bitch you are. No offense.

**AIKA:** Interesting that you should say something so plainly rude and tack on a ‘no-offense’ as if that’s a curative. You weren’t raised around other children, were you?

**MASANORI:** I hate all of you. Stop talking.

**PV:** Children are those who see art the purest, for its colors and light and sound and nothing else. They seek no deeper meaning and are ultimately satisfied with their worlds. I surround myself in those with childlike views to expunge the horrors of adult wants and allow myself to be clear and cleansing with my art.

**MASANORI:** I just want you to know that vaporwave isn’t fucking art.

**AIKA:** You avoided my question.

**PV:** You avoided being a decent human being with respect for social boundaries.

**NORIKO:** Enough!

**SHUJI:** Hey! The fire’s going! Yay!

**NORIKO:** You have my thanks, Saji-san. You three need to stop being so adversarial for the fun of all of it! Under different circumstances I’d let the two of you go at it; you deserve each other. But given that we’re in a situation out of our control that  _ wants _ us to escalate to violence, you have to stop!

**LANI:** Hey all! Wow, a fire! Shuji, I’m awake now! Wanna hang out? Soga-kun’s here too!

**SHUJI:** I would do literally anything to politely leave this room.

**LANI:** You’re so funny! Come on, we’re gonna walk around. Someone made breakfast!

_ I leave the room as fast as I can without literally running. The heat of the fire didn’t do anything to diffuse the tension in the room. How can the most comfortable room in the world foster such angry people? _

**ISEI:** Hey, Saji. You smell like fire.

**SHUJI:** Sharp nose, dude. Yeah, I just got it going so nobody would have to ask The Fey.

**ISEI:** Yeah, I’d ask as little from her as possible. I don’t know how much surveillance she’s actually doing with the cameras, or how much power she has over us, but I’m not a big fan of inviting her into our space.

**LANI:** Her space, isn’t it though?

**SHUJI:** Ugh.

**LANI:** You alright?

**SHUJI:** I just don’t like the idea of this being her space. You know what I mean? None of us are at home here, and even if we get used to it...ah, nevermind. I don’t like being negative.

**ISEI:** It’s not so bad, moving into someone else’s house. I moved in with my aunt when I was a kid and it felt like I’d never get used to it.

**LANI:** And I moved to Japan recently! Any home can be your home!

_ I want to make some sarcastic remark about Isei’s aunt asking him to murder his cousins or something, but I’m supposed to be the happy guy. Plus, it seems like it’s in poor taste. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah. So you said you wanted to walk around?

**ISEI:** When I was looking around last night, when everyone was meeting, I got the feeling that there’s more to this place. I don’t know, I wanted more eyes on it.

**LANI:** I’ve got eyes!

**ISEI:** Take a look at this.

_ He leads us to the foyer where we met The Fey, and each other, and it is almost entirely unremarkable. Clean floors, plants along the steps… _

**SHUJI:** Wait…

**LANI:** I don’t get it. It looks just like it did when we got here?

**SHUJI:** Exactly like when we got here. The chandelier is back up.

**ISEI:** And the floor is clean. Not even Akiyama-san’s ashes are on the floor.

**LANI:** What does that mean?

**ISEI:** I’m not sure.

**SHUJI:** It means somebody cleaned it, right? Either The Fey or other robots or… People.

**LANI:** Weren’t we talking about how whoever put us here’s gotta have money? Or connections? So this person could have a cleaning crew?

**ISEI** : You guys are brighter than I initially thought. Um. Sorry.

**SHUJI** : No, it’s okay. I’m not all that bright, so your assumptions were spot on.

**LANI:** Speak for yourself, I’m a genius.

**SHUJI:** And an especially  _ bright _ one. Get it? Solar technician?

**LANI:** Oh, you’re hilarious! But what does the rich mastermind having a cleaning crew mean? Don’t most rich people have cleaners?

**ISEI:** I’m not sure. I just wanted to see if you two came to the same conclusions as I did. Makes it feel less like I’m jumping to conclusions here.

//The Fey enters, checking her clipboard casually.

**SHUJI:** Oh jeez…

**THE FEY** :  _ [Startled]  _ Huh, you’re already here? Did I already make the announcement? No...No I didn’t…

**LANI:** What are you doing here?

**THE FEY:** What are YOU doing here, brat? I didn’t call for you!

**ISEI:** Hey, you said we fucking live here, right? Well we’re allowed to walk around however the hell we want.

**THE FEY:** You have...a point. Not a very good one but it’s there. Whatever, shut up and listen.

_ It begins speaking into its headset, its voice broadcasting throughout the mansion. _

**THE FEY:** Hey everybody! Get your sorry asses over to the foyer, I’ve got something I need to talk about with you. If you don’t come, you’ll regret it!!

_ Everyone begins filing into the foyer, a repeat performance from yesterday. I have a sick feeling in my stomach that whatever The Fey is gonna tell us, it isn’t going to be good. _

_ Once everyone is gathered, they rise into the air, well above head-height I guess so that everybody can see them easily. They’re practically preening. _

**THE FEY:** Good, good, you’re all here. Obedient little fuckers, aren’t you?

_ We exchange nervous glances, but nobody speaks. Even Miki is just silently fuming. _

**THE FEY:** Then again, if you were truly obedient, you’d have some blood on your hands, wouldn’t you?

**KYO:** Well, in the rules it only says we’re meant to kill in order to leave. Maybe all of us are simply enjoying your hospitality, Fey, uh, sensei?

**MIKI:** Kiss ass…

**MASANORI:** Okay, that’s bullshit! I want out of here ASAP, I’m just not about to try to kill any of you fuckers and get killed back!

**AIKA:** You seem remarkably eager for murder, Nishimuraya-san.

**THE FEY:** Not eager enough! You’re all sitting around eating eggs, lighting fires, all la-tee-da! I’m sick of it! I’m through! It’s time to mix things up a bit!

**ALENA:** Mix…?

**THE FEY:** How do you insufferable children like  _ money _ ?

**KYO:** Ha, well. I don’t mean to brag but it’s not exactly on a list of priority needs from me.

**THE FEY:** Literally nobody has ever cared what you have to say.

**KYO:** I...see…

**THE FEY:** The rest of you? You hunger for cash, don’t you? It could solve all your problems. It could make daddy love you. 

**ROXXY** : [Frowning] ...

**THE FEY** : It could feed your family for the rest of their lives. 

**ALENA** : [Frightened] …!

**THE FEY** : It could get debtors off your back. 

**MASANORI** : [Angry] ...

**THE FEY** : Crucial gender affirming surgeries at your fingertips. 

**SHUJI:** [Confused] ...

**THE FEY** : It could buy you a home.

**MIKI:** [Disgusted] ...

_ Everyone is quiet for a moment. I can’t speak for the rest of them, but I certainly spend a moment thinking of how many things in my life would be easier with lots of money. Most of my problems could be solved with money and money alone. _

**FUMI:** _[Pissed off.]_ If you think anyone here would kill for some petty cash, you’re...you’re stupider than you look!

**THE FEY:** Oh? Oh????

**HEJI:** Sis, don’t mess with it…

**FUMI:** I’m sick of all this fear-mongering! It’s a cruel thing to want another person to fear for their life, and I hate cruelty!

**THE FEY:** So what’s the truth, brats? Is sweet little Fumi-chan right? Or are those baser instincts ticking away in the back of your skull hungering for the money to ensure a happy and comfortable life going to win out?

**MIKI:** You’re saying if we kill each other, you’ll give us money?

**THE FEY:** In addition to the gift of never having to see Our Mansion of Plenty again. 

**AIKA:** Except in your guilty nightmares, naturally.

**THE FEY:** Exactly!

**KYO:** Wait! How can you even prove that you’ve got the money to back up this ridiculous bribe?

**THE FEY:** Easy peasy. You’ll just have to check your lovely hotel rooms I’ve provided for you to see. You’d better kill each other quickly. Peace out, bitches.

_ With that, they leave us to stew in our mixed feelings once again. People whisper among themselves and we all gradually disperse, sticking in groups of threes and fours. Eventually I drift off too, walking to attempt to clear my thoughts. _

_ With money...a permanent home… _

_ But murder? _

_ I couldn’t...but could someone else? _

_ Ultimately I find myself in the laundry room, of all places, and climb atop a laundry machine to sit and think. Sitting on top of things that aren’t meant to be sat on is just a soothing experience, and one I hope to exploit. _

**BO:** Hi there, stranger.

_ I look up. It’s Bo, that weird kid who keeps telling people they’re an alien. Despite the clear oddity there, they seem nice enough--definitely nicer than the other French person here. I try to smile, but I don’t know how well I do. _

**SHUJI:** Hey. Moreau-san, right?

**BO:** None other! I mean. There are other Moreaus. Just not like me. Unless there’s clones?  _ [Alarmed.] _ Uh, nevermind. What are you doing in here?

**KATHERINE:** Why are you doing laundry? Did you piss your pants or something?

**SHUJI:** What? No, I just wanted a place to sit and think. Sitting on top of stuff is nice.

**KATHERINE:** ...weird.

**BO:** Au contraire! Sitting on top of things gets you closer to the stars, no? I’ll climb up with you! Ueda-sama, join us!

**KATHERINE:** _ [shrug.]  _ I guess so.

_ She climbs up on another machine after Bo, so the three of us are like monkeys in a tree. If the tree were washing machines and the reason for climbing the tree was the fear of death. You know, normal monkey stuff I guess. Out of the corner of my eye I spot Alena, hovering near the doorway, but she doesn’t come in. I try to make eye contact, but she seems to be toying with a leaf again. I’ll leave her be. _

**SHUJI:** I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to either of you much yet, have I?

**KATHERINE:** Besides the poisoning attempt.

**SHUJI:** ...right. Yeah. Besides that.

**BO:** You are a presence among humans, Saji-sama. You make yourself known.

**SHUJI:** Yeah I could say the same about you two…

**KATHERINE:** [Completely deadpan] What do you mean?

**BO:** Huh? I do? I thought my camouflage was working so perfectly!

**SHUJI:** I think it was working about as well as it could, but, you know…

**BO:** [Wide eyed] I know?

_ Uhhhhhh... _

**SHUJI:** It’s hard to keep it up in such a stressful environment?

_ There’s a pause. I was absolutely bullshitting, but I don’t know how to tell someone like Bo that they’re just weird. Plus, who knows? Maybe they are an alien, who am I to judge? I just hope I didn’t hurt their feelings… _

**BO:** Saji-sama. You are very wise.

**SHUJI:** I am? I mean, duh. I’m a genius.

**KATHERINE:** Humble, too.

**SHUJI:** _ [Nonplussed] _ Yup, master of humility. I’m the DJ Khaled of knowing my place.

**KATHERINE:** _[Hiding a laugh]_ …

**BO:** So, who do you think is cutest in here?

**SHUJI:** What, like in this room?

**BO:** No, of all of us. Who do you like best?

_ Is this...are they really asking me who I have a crush on in the murder mansion? The murder mansion where we’re all being told to kill each other for cash? I must have misunderstood. _

**SHUJI:** Are you asking me who I have a crush on?

**BO:** Yeah. Who is it? Who’s cutest?

**SHUJI:** I’m not sure this is really the most appropriate time to be talking about that. Plus, our memories are all trashed. I don’t know anyone well enough to know anything about feelings.

**KATHERINE:** Miki-chan is cute.

**BO:** I like「Pure Virtual」!

**SHUJI:** Seriously?

**BO:** They’re so cool! They say a bunch of stuff I don’t understand and I love that about them.

**SHUJI** : How old are you?

**BO** : Seventeen.

**SHUJI** : They might be a little old for you.

**BO** : Uh, well, I’m only seventeen in human years? That’s like…

_ They count on their fingers. _

**BO** : I’m like 800, actually.

**SHUJI** : Then...wouldn’t you be a bit old for them?

**BO** : Hmm… Well, I can still be friends with someone younger than me… I can’t not be friends with someone with triangle hair, you know?

**KATHERINE:** Miki’s small and pink. It’s nice.

**SHUJI:** Now I’m genuinely curious. That’s all it takes?

**KATHERINE:** [Shrugs.] It can be. Why does it have to be complicated?

**SHUJI:** I don’t know, I guess I thought the murder mansion thing made things more complicated.

_ Another silent shrug from Katherine. I guess things are just all sorted out in her head. Am I the only one who’s all in a tizzy about what The Fey said? That idea is simultaneously a relief and a whole new problem. If nobody else wants to kill--that’s fantastic, obviously. But if I’m the only one affected by it...what does that say about me? _

_ This train of thought is brought to screeching halt by the sound of a high pitched scream from another room. Before I can even process it, I’m on my feet and running toward the sound. _

_ Since when do I run  _ toward _ the sound of danger, anyway? _

_ When I arrive in the dining room, it looks like I’m not the only one who ran to see what had happened. Heiji is sitting on the ground, with Fumi and Roxxy fluttering around him. Roxxy has a washcloth in her hand, presumably taken from the kitchen or one of the bathrooms, and is pressing it to his head with a panicked expression. _

_ I have to push past everyone else to get more context on the situation. Miki is being tied to a chair by Noriko, who looks pretty passive about the whole thing. Nearby is a bunch of shattered ceramic on the floor. _

**ROXXY:** I can’t believe that brat! I can’t believe money is enough to prompt this! Miki-san is going on my list of people it’s okay to slap!

**FUMI:** I hate to say it, but they’re getting close to my threshold too.

**HEIJI:** Really, gals, I’m fine. No harm done. It’d take more than a vase to bring ol’ Heiji down!

**KATA:** You have to realize that the attempt is bad enough to warrant action, right? You can’t be that dull.

**HEIJI:** _ [Laughing.]  _ Hey man, you’d be surprised.

**KATA:** ...must be the head injury.

**LANI:** Really? Dan-san attacked Heiji-kun with a vase??

**NORIKO:** It was a foolish and desperate attempt. It won’t happen again.

_ She tightens the rope around Miki like punctuation on her sentence. _

**NORIKO:** Not while I’m around.

**MASANORI:** What kind of idiot would attack someone in front of people…

**AIKA:** An idiot who needs money, I would presume.

**MASANORI:** ...tch.

**AIKA:** Is that all you have to say? Is someone else sweating under the heat of a debtor’s collection crew?

**MASANORI:** Did I at any point say I wanted to hear anything out of your harpy witch mouth?

**AIKA:** I’m sure you want something from my harpy witch mouth.

**MASANORI:** I’m extremely gay and also I hate you more than I’ve hated anything in my life.

**AIKA:** Except for yourself, no?

**MASANORI:** ARRGH. Someone tell the little pink bitch to try to kill this goth slut next.

**MIKI:** I’m right here, you absolute cock. All of you can shut the hell up!

**NORIKO:** I’m not sure anyone truly wishes to follow the commands of a would-be murderer, Dan-san. I’d advise you keep your thoughts to yourself for a while.

**FUMI:** Enough joking about murder! All of you are terrible! My brother got attacked and you’re just chatting and sassing each other? Awful!

**ROXXY:** _[Distressed.]_ All of us?

**FUMI:** Oh, uh, not you Roxxy-chan! You’ve been very kind and helpful!

**KATA:** I bet if she had a sticker she’d give it to you.

**FUMI:** I’m not an elementary school teac--

**ROXXY:** Jokes on you, Ama-chan, I love stickers.

**KATA:** All children do.

**LANI:** Anyone who hasn’t let themselves get bitter and horrible loves stickers…

**KATA:** I rest my case. Children.

**SHUJI:** Hey uh, I don’t know if this is weird but, should we be focusing on the murder attempt?

**HEIJI:** Seriously guys, it’s not a big deal. I’m fine!

**ROXXY:** Hei-chan you’re bleeding! You’re not fine!

**HEIJI:** I promise, I just got cut a little when the vase smashed.

**FUMI:** When the vase smashed on your HEAD!

**HEIJI:** Yeah, that vase. It’s not like Dan-san could ever actually kill me, alright? I’m tougher than that.

_ He stands up, as if to prove his point, and takes the washcloth off of his head. There’s some blood on it, but considering that it’s a scalp wound, it’s not too concerning.  _

**LANI:** [Looking ill.] …

**SHUJI:** Did you...fight back? How did they get tied to a chair?

**HEIJI:** Uh, with rope?

**YUI:** For that matter, where did the rope come from? I believe that those who weren’t present deserve to get a retelling of the situation.

**KYO:** Luckily for you all, I’m an excellent storyteller. Unless anybody else would like to volunteer?

**MASANORI:** The dipshit got hit by the angry rat baby. What else is there to tell?

**ISEI:** If you don’t mind, Katayama-san. I would like to hear the story.

**KYO** : Oh, I thought Nishimuraya-san’s story was pretty good. Are you sure?

**ISEI:** ...I’m sure.

**KYO:** Alrighty then. After the...announcement from The Fey, a group of us set to wandering. Yui-chan went to go find Noriko-chan, while I followed the lovely Kaimi siblings into the dining room. Miki-san was with us, naturally, as was Roxxy-chan. Heiji-kun and I were chatting about beaches we’ve visited, while Miki-san sat on their own. I’m not one to judge, but…

_ They sigh, looking down. When they look back up, they’re smiling as charming as ever. _

**KYO:** Miki-san was distressed by the motive. They paced for a while, twitching and motioning to themself, while I tried to stay focused on Heiji-kun’s riveting tales of water-based triumph.

**HEIJI:** No worries, cousin. I can tell you again sometime.

**KYO:** [Winking.] I’d really enjoy that. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t think too much of Miki-san’s distress, as there were plenty of us in the room. When they grabbed the vase, I stood up to warn Heiji-kun, but Miki-san is faster than they look.

**MIKI:** Fuck. You.

**KYO:** They viciously attacked Heiji, swinging the vase and bashing it into his head. He fell out of his chair, the poor thing. The vase shattered, probably because it’s not suited for melee combat, and before Miki-san could find another weapon, Roxxy-chan had grabbed them.

**LANI:** No way! You just grabbed them?

**ROXXY:** I didn’t know what to do! I just picked them up!

**LANI:** Off the ground?!

**ROXXY:** Well, yeah! They kick hard, F-Y-I everyone.

**KYO:** While Fumi-chan tended to her brother and Roxxy-chan retained the villain, I found Yui-chan and Noriko-chan. Noriko-chan was wise enough to stop by the supply closet and grab some rope, with which she incapacitated Miki-san further.

**SHUJI** : I thought I heard screaming, that’s why I came running. It didn’t sound like Heiji...

**KYO** : Ah, that was Dan-san. A battle cry, I suppose? I can’t say how effective it was, but it definitely startled me.

**HEIJI:** And then you all showed up and then I don’t know what happens!

**NORIKO:** What happens is we keep an eye on Dan-san.

**KATHERINE:** Is that really necessary?

_ I hadn’t even seen Katherine come in. Most of us are here now, with only Bo, Pure Virtual, and Alena missing. Somewhere in the back of my head, I hope that those two aren’t distressing Alena too much. _

_ More importantly, I suppose, I hope that nobody is dying. _

_ I shake my head to clear the thought from my head, and try to pay attention to the conversation. _

**YUI:** They tried to kill someone. It’s necessary.

**KATHERINE:** Can you even call that a murder attempt? Like...if they’d tried to kill a baby it might have worked, but not Kaimi-kun. It’s like calling a temper tantrum a murder attempt.

**MIKI:** Hey!

**KATHERINE:** Sorry. I just don’t think they ever had a real chance of killing anyone, so it’s not worth punishing. _ [Shrugs.]  _ Maybe that’s just me.

**HEIJI:** I’m actually with Ueda-san on this one. It’s not like they could do any harm.

**MIKI:** I’ll show you harm!

**HEIJI:** I’m tryna make sure you don’t spend the foreseeable future tied to a chair, kid. Try not to ruin it for me, right?

**MIKI:** I’ll make my own damn case! I don’t need some brawn-for-brains to help me do shit!

**YUI:** Alright. Dan-san, present your case. Why should we not contain your violent urges? Are there any reasons beyond you being too weak to actually hurt anybody?

**MIKI:** _[Absolutely Enraged]_ …

**YUI:** _[Smug]_ Well?

**MIKI:** You shut the fuck up too! Why should I have to defend myself to you?!

**SHUJI:** I mean...you did try to kill someone? With witnesses? I think that’s a pretty good reason for you to have to defend yourself.

**MIKI:** Eat a dick, Saji!

**NORIKO:** As it stands, they’ll remain tied to this chair.

**KYO:** Hey, what about the rule about sleeping in our rooms? I don’t wanna find out what punishment that Fey has in mind for us if we don’t follow along. It’s got murder on the brain and all.

**NORIKO:** You have a point…

**SHUJI:** What if someone escorts them to their room and then collects them in the morning?

**AIKA:** What’s to stop them from simply leaving the room once their guard is asleep?

**YUI:** Take their key. There’s no rule about stealing--which, honestly, is remiss on the part of our so-called Host--so it shouldn’t warrant punishment.

**AIKA:** Who would get punished for Dan-san’s sleep indiscretion, anyway? Would it be Dan-san themself, for technically violating the rule, or Noro-san for forcing them to? Perhaps Kaimi-kun could be held responsible, since it was their attack on him that lead to the chair incident?

**KATA:** You talk too much.

**SHUJI:** It’s obviously not gonna be Heiji-san that gets punished. Like, we can at least count that out. And we have a solution, so there’s no real point in discussing it?

**AIKA:** The semantics of the rules in this place could be quite literally life or death.

**ROXXY:** Can we tie her to a chair next? I hate everything she says.

_ Aika opens her mouth to speak. _

**ROXXY:** No! Don’t say it! Ugh I already regret it!

_ Despite the fact that someone had made an attempt at killing someone else...things seem to fall back into expected patterns pretty fast. I feel like I should be more freaked out, but I guess Heiji is right...nothing really came of it, so it’s nothing to be too stressed about. _

_ It can’t be normal, right?  _

_ To feel so little shock about attempted murder? _

_ Maybe it hasn’t set in yet. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting so close to the murder! We're almost there! I'm currently writing out the full investigation and trial before I publish anymore, but I wanted you all to get the glory of...well, just everyone in the cast getting some screentime, really.
> 
> Any comments are loved and appreciated! Tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter One: Persistence (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know what every killing game needs, especially after an attempted murder? A SLEEP OVER!
> 
> I'm sure nothing bad will happen during it.

 

_I'm stirred out of my reverie, thinking about whether or not this is normal or not, by more musing from Yui._

**YUI** : Mm, what do we do about bathroom breaks?

 **NORIKO** : I suppose I’ll have to escort them…

 **KATHERINE** : Do you plan on carrying the entire chair, with Dan-san in it?

 **NORIKO** : It won’t be difficult.

 **YUI** : And you’ll be carrying them to their room, as well? This doesn’t seem ideal.

 **NORIKO** : Nothing about this scenario is ideal, that much is true. We will do what we must.

 **ROXXY** : I’ve got it!!

 **FUMI** : What do you have?

 **ROXXY** : A solution to Miki-chan’s chair thing!

 **AIKA** : I was thinking we could just cut a hole in the chair so nobody would have to untie them for the bathroom.

 **MASANORI** : You’re disgusting, please stop talking forever.

 **ROXXY** : We have a sleepover!

 **KYO** : I fail to see how a sleepover will solve any problems. Beside the fact that we aren’t allowed to sleep outside of our rooms, it simply doesn’t...contribute? Like, don’t get me wrong, it sounds fun, but...

 **ROXXY** : Well, okay, first of all I’ve never met anybody who sleeps at a sleepover so, that’s a start. Second of all, the way it works now, it’s Nori-chan’s job to babysit Miki-chan, and that’s very not cool.

 **HEIJI** : But with a sleepover, all of us would be together, so we could take turns, right?

 **ROXXY** : Yeah! You untie them if they need to pee or whatever and we walk them to that public restroom--

 **AIKA** : Do they get a leash?

 **MIKI** : Oh shut the fuck up you freak.

 **ROXXY** : Ignoring that, thank you, all of us hang out and we can get to know each other too! We’re all basically strangers, and that’s only gonna make it easier to do death stuff, right?

 **NORIKO** : It has been a while since I’ve gone to a sleepover… It sounds fun.

 **YUI** : A sleepover where sleeping is expressly forbidden and one of us is tied to a chair?

 **ROXXY** : Yeah, so, like, a normal sleepover?

 **MIKI** : Ugghhh…

 **SHUJI** : There is a lot of tea and stuff in the sitting room…

 **YUI** : You’re on board, Noro-san?

_Noriko looks speculative for a moment, but nods firmly._

**NORIKO** : The pros outweigh the cons, I think. If we’re all present, it would also make things more difficult to make a murder take place.

 **KYO** : It sounds like we’ve got a party to plan, Yui.

_Yui sighs deeply, but nods._

**YUI** : Alright, I’ll start organizing.

 **ROXXY** : Let me help! Please!

 **LANI** : I’ll help too!

_There isn’t much to organize, as it turns out, since we don’t have access to much in the way of entertainment, but everyone finds something to do. Roxxy institutes a strict pajamas-only dress code, with the only exception being Miki who is too tied to a chair to get changed, while Heiji and Lani take as many spare pillows and blankets as they can find from the supply closet to bring to the sitting room._

_I am, naturally, tasked with starting the fire which turns into a demonstration for anyone else who is interested. ‘Anyone who is interested’ turns out to mostly be Kyo and Isei, as everyone else is busy setting up or being invited to the party._

_After a long consultation, Roxxy and Kyo determine that the official starting point of the sleepover is 7 PM, giving us 12 full hours until the next morning announcement. Roxxy goes around inviting everyone once the sitting room is adequately set up._

_Roxxy arrives at 7 on the dot, Kyo and Yui in tow._

**ROXXY** : So, we’ve got a couple people who didn’t seem interested, so we don’t expect them to show…

_Yui checks a clipboard._

**YUI** : Pure Virtual, Kata Ama, and Aika Akiyama have expressed a disinterest.

 **SHUJI** : But Nishimuraya-san is coming?

 **KYO** : Noriko strong armed him. Literally. She clotheslined him as he tried to run away, it was awesome.

 **SHUJI** : I really feel like we should discourage that…

 **ROXXY** : It’s fine, he said a lot of nasty things. Anyway, people should be showing up soon! Go change into jammies!!

_I dutifully march to my room and hastily get changed so I can be back in the sitting room in time for things to start._

**7:30 PM**

_People drift in, but they arrive slowly and aren’t sure what to do. Eventually, Yui and I figure that it’s dinner time anyway, and go to the kitchen to make something basic for people to eat. Not wanting to pull out all the stops, we make some sandwiches and bring them to the sitting room, where people are finally getting settled._

_After Miki hurts their teeth on Noriko’s gauntleted hand--literally biting the hand that feeds them--Katherine feeds Miki the sandwich. We stack the plates on the cabinet in the back, reasoning that we’ll wash them later._

**8 PM**

_Now that everyone is here and fed, besides the people who didn’t want to come, people break off into groups to chat and figure out their own activities to keep them occupied until morning._

**BO** : So...what happens at sleepovers?

 **ALENA** : Sleeping…?

 **LANI** : Whaaat? No! Never! Have neither of you been to a sleepover before?

 **ALENA** : Sort of? Maybe. I have brothers.

 **BO** : I don’t have uhh...you know, terrestrial friends? And the ones I have are distinct sleep-at-day types.

 **LANI** : Sleepovers with your own family aren’t the same! It’s supposed to be exciting, and so fun you can’t possibly sleep!

 **ALENA** : What makes it so fun?

 **BO** : Yes, I’m also curious! What is the fun?

 **LANI** : Well, you play games and stuff! And make junk food!

 **BO** : I do love junk food!

 **ALENA** : ...Oh. Fun.

 **SHUJI** : Hey, I’ve got an idea for junk food!

_I leave the sitting room and jog to the kitchen and bag, bringing a bag of big fluffy marshmallows and some skewers with me. Noriko scowls at me when I come back; I guess I shouldn’t just come and go as I please if she wants to be keeping track of people._

_I sit down on the floor next to the fireplace, pulling some cushions over to me and patting them so that Lani, Alena, and Bo follow suit._

**LANI** : Marshmallows! You know, a lot of people say these are unhealthy but in my opinion, using all of the animal including the byproducts is better for the environment, so it all balances out.

 **BO** : Animal what?

 **ALENA** : Animal bones, collagen. Skin, that stuff.

 **LANI** : Yeah, yum!

 **BO** : Animals go to college?

 **SHUJI** : Only if they’re really smart!

_Lani extends a hand for a marshmallow, and I hand him one. Instead of putting it on the skewer, however, he just pops one in his mouth and--cheeks bulging--reaches for another one._

**SHUJI** : Hey, no! We’re gonna roast them!

 **ALENA** : Like...camp?

 **SHUJI** : Yeah! But with the fireplace, instead of a campfire!

_I demonstrate stabbing a marshmallow with the skewer, and hand them all skewers to do the same._

**BO** : Ooh, human rituals are exciting!

 **SHUJI** : Alena, you’ve been to camp? Then you should know how to do this, right?

_She shakes her head solemnly, staring at me with those wide eyes._

**ALENA** : I have never been. I watch movies, though.

 **LANI** : Oh hey, duh! I know how to do this!

_Lani confidently sticks his entire marshmallow into the fire, and hits the charred log inside hard enough that sparks fly._

_Alena, predictably, screams and shies away from it, but Bo just laughs enthusiastically._

**LANI** : Or, uh...well, it’s been a while! And I’ve never done it on an inside fire, you know?

_I show them the appropriate way to put their marshmallows near, but not directly in, the fire._

**BO** : How do we know when they’re done?

 **SHUJI** : I don’t know, I guess it depends on how burnt or melty you like it! I like it to get a little black, but generally you go for a golden brown.

 **ALENA** : And then you eat them?

 **SHUJI** : Yup! It’s really gross and messy, so that’s fun!

_There’s a few moments of silence before I take mine out of the fire, a little earlier than I’d like for demonstration purposes, and rip it off of the skewer with my teeth. Hot marshmallow gets on my chin, which burns, but it’s so tasty I can’t complain._

_Alena follows suit, but delicately takes the marshmallow off of the skewer with her fingers and blows on it before sticking it in her mouth. Bo is next, who just puts the whole end of the skewer in their mouth and yelps before removing it, half of the marshmallow still in place but now decidedly covered in spit._

_Lani laughs and does pretty much what I did, eating it from the side of the skewer._

**ALENA** : [Surprised.] This is good!

 **LANI** : You eat so delicate, Alena-chan!

 **ALENA** : Delicate? Really?

 **BO** : Agyros-sama! You are very refined!

_Alena’s face turns bright red, visible even in the warm light of the fire._

**ALENA** : ...you…

_She was so quiet that I’m not sure what she meant to say, but Bo joyfully claps her on the back anyway. Maybe aliens have better hearing than I do._

**BO** : Agyros-sama, you are a good person! Don’t worry so much about being shy!

 **LANI** : Bo...do you know anything about being shy?

 **BO** : I’m the ultimate fish out of water! I don’t even have any aliens on Earth to hang out with.

 **LANI** : Ohh...right. But, you seem pretty extroverted for an alien, right?

 **BO** : I’m actually very shy compared to most aliens! My species is naturally curious, and naturally very friendly, which is why we keep visiting people to share things with!

 **SHUJI** : Do you abduct people for that?

 **LANI** : Ooh, do you do tests on people!

 **BO** : No, only bad aliens do that. Duh!

 **ALENA** : Right… Duh.

_Her deadpan, almost fearful delivery of the word ‘duh’ prompts giggled from Lani and I, while Bo just nods wisely._

_We all reload our skewers for more marshmallows, and this time I feel the freedom to let mine burn to the crispy goodness I know I want._

_Delicious._

**9 PM**

_It’s around nine that Bo and Lani both start yawning expansively. It almost seems like a competition to see who can expose more of their molars while yawning._

_When Lani lets out a yawn taking up so much of his body that he nearly teeters into Kyo, who is sitting on the sofa, Bo starts making motions to curl up in front of the fireplace like a cat._

**SHUJI** : Hey, you guys seem pretty tired.

 **LANI** : Can’t...sleep at a sleepover…

 **ALENA** : It’s against the rules.

 **BO** : Muh.

_I nudge Bo with my foot, and they grumble._

**SHUJI** : She’s right, it is against the rules. I think you guys should head out and sleep in your beds.

_They put up a fight, but it’s a very sleepy fight, and ultimately I win. They say goodnight to everyone, and dutifully leave to go sleep like the growing children that they are._

_Well, technically I think I’m a growing child too, but at least I’m 18, right?_

_Now it’s just me and Alena in front of the fire._

**SHUJI** : How are you doing?

_She shrugs, and stares into the fire._

**ALENA** : Have you been to sleepovers before?

 **SHUJI** : Technically, I guess.

 **ALENA** : You need friends to do sleepovers.

_Uh oh, this feels like tricky territory._

_What do I say? Do I ask if she has no friends? Do I insist she must have friends, when I don’t even know that much about her?_

**SHUJI** : How long have you been living in Japan?

 **ALENA** : Hm? I don’t know. My memories… Ah. A few years, before Hope’s Peak.

 **SHUJI** : Well, that’s not a very long time at all. I’m surprised your Japanese is so good.

_She shakes her head._

**ALENA** : It’s not good. I have a hard time speaking up, because… I don’t always know the words.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, it probably doesn’t help that everyone’s always talking over each other.

 **ALENA** : It’s just sound at that point…

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, I agree.

_She nods, and the conversation dies. I look into the fire, watching it and trying to see if I can interpret messages in the flames that will help me talk to her._

_We were doing pretty good for a minute there, though. That’s not bad._

_After a while of blankly staring into the fire, spacing out, someone joins us._

_Fumi stands awkwardly between us, apparently unwilling to sit on the floor, and waves politely._

**FUMI** : Hey, are you two having fun?

 **SHUJI** : Sure, I guess! How is everyone else doing?

 **FUMI** : Kyo is telling scary stories, but I don’t really like scary stuff. I’m already panicky enough… I bet you can relate, right?

_Alena stares blankly up at her so impassively that I’m no longer actually sure that Fumi was addressing Alena. Do I give off panicky enough vibes that Fumi would try to relate to me on that level?_

**SHUJI** : Are they actually scary, or just, ‘and then they were never seen again! Woooo….’ type things?

 **FUMI** : Was that a ghost noise?

 **SHUJI** : It was an attempt at a ghost noise.

 **FUMI** : It sounded like you were faking being excited about a sports team.

 **SHUJI** : Maybe that’s why it’s so scary! The ghost is uhh...unenthusiastic, but not straightforward enough to just leave?

 **FUMI** : Your idea of horror is an awkward conversation? How did you get to be friends with Agyros-san, then?

_As soon as the words leave her mouth, she covers her face in shock and grimaces at Alena. I don’t think she meant to say that out loud._

**SHUJI** : She’s just...quiet, you know?

 **ALENA** : Quiet…

 **SHUJI** : But quiet isn’t necessarily bad. We’re just chilling.

 **FUMI** : That sounds nice! Uh, nicer than the scary stories anyway. I don’t think I need to be any more on edge.

 **SHUJI** : Are you doing okay?

 **FUMI** : I hate to admit it, but that...the money…

 **ALENA** : [Staring.] …?

 **FUMI** : I don’t make a lot of money writing letters for people. It’s a side thing, I mean. And my parents aren’t rich. I just… I have a son. I want to send him to good schools.

 **ALENA** : You…

 **SHUJI** : You’re not really tempted though, are you?

 **FUMI** : O-of course not! I mean, yes, I do want money, but--

_Alena scrambles to her feet, stumbling backwards and almost sticking a foot in the fire. She presses herself against the mantle, facing Fumi with wide eyes._

**FUMI** : Don’t misunderstand, I wouldn’t actually--

 **ALENA** : You want the money!

_Her voice is shockingly loud, especially for her. Everyone in the room turns toward her._

**FUMI** : No, I--

 **ALENA** : You want to kill me! You’ll kill me! You’ll--You’ll--

_Her face is pale with shock and fear, her eyes wide and wild like a rabid animal. She grasps the mantle behind her with white knuckles._

_I stand, extending my hands out to her like I’m taming a wild horse._

**SHUJI** : Alena, she didn’t mean anything by it.

 **ALENA** : You all want me to die! You want me to die! I--I--I--!

_She moves faster than I would have expected, sprinting out of the room on long legs and disappearing._

**KYO** : Holy shit, is she okay?

 **FUMI** : I didn’t mean to--

 **ROXXY** : She totally flipped!

 **MIKI** : And yet I’m the one tied to a chair still, huh?

 **NORIKO** : She’s just scared. It’s understandable.

 **MASANORI** : You’re just going to let her go? Sure, fine, whatever, if she kills someone it’s no sweat off my back.

 **YUI** : Perhaps someone should check on her…

 **SHUJI** : I’ll go check. I’ll be right back, hopefully.

_I gamble on where she’d go: if I were her, I’d head to a room I could lock._

_I head to her bedroom, and knock on the door._

_Silence._

_I wait for a moment, and knock again._

_I hear movement in the room, some thumping around._

**SHUJI** : Hey, Alena-chan. It’s me. I just wanted to make sure you’re...okay, I guess?

 **ALENA** : How can I be okay?!

 **SHUJI** : I don’t think anyone meant to--

 **ALENA** : I can’t trust ANY of you! Get out! Go away!

 **SHUJI** : Okay. I’ll give you space. If you need anything, I’m here for you, okay?

 **ALENA** : GO!

_I head back to the sleepover, feeling discouraged._

_I explain to the group that she went to her room, and she should be fine. I hope. Things settle back into groups, and I try to go back to normal._

**10 PM**

**ROXXY** : Never have I ever...uhhm...Kissed a boy?

_Fumi puts her finger down with a huff._

**FUMI** : Is that honestly fair?

 **ROXXY** : I wasn’t targeting you! Look, Kyo-chan put a finger down too!

 **YUI** : When did you kiss a boy?

 **KYO** : Don’t you remember? A few years ago one of the rewards for a highest donation was a smooch from me!

_Roxxy’s ideas for icebreakers are certainly interesting, but I can’t deny that this is a pretty classic sleepover game. Since the night time announcement went off, it finally feels like a real sleepover, too._

**FUMI** : Okay, my turn I guess? Never have I ever… Collected anything!

 **YUI** : That is fairly vague.

 **FUMI** : Okay, what about ‘Never have I ever started a collection’?

_I put my finger down, and so does Yui._

**ROXXY** : Ooh, what did you collect?

 **SHUJI** : Just cool rocks I found on the street, that sort of thing.

 **YUI** : I had a collection of...let’s just call them genre novels.

 **KYO** : Aw, not gonna say what genre?

 **YUI** : I’m under no obligation to be specific.

 **FUMI** : Haha, fair enough! Shuji’s turn!

 **SHUJI** : Okay! I’ve got this! Never have I ever eaten chalk!

 **KYO** : Do people do that?

_Roxxy guiltily puts down a finger._

**ROXXY** : It’s like, not that different from a lot of medicines and candies, okay?

_Fumi just giggles._

**YUI** : Never have I ever slept outside.

 **FUMI** : What? You’ve never gone camping?

_Fumi, Kyo, Roxxy and I all put down a finger while Yui looks smug._

**YUI** : Never.

 **KYO** : Okay, I’m sure I’ve got one on all of you! Never have I ever been to a fast food establishment.

 **SHUJI** : What?!

 **ROXXY** : Unfair!

_All of us put down a finger while Kyo cackles at us._

**11 PM**

_There’s one part of the room I’ve been avoiding, which is difficult given that the room isn’t all that large. Masanori and Miki sit on chairs brought from the dining room, kept in place by Noriko’s stare and Noriko’s knots respectively. The only person hanging around with them is Katherine, who seems to be there out of solidarity with Miki._

_Finally, I decide to check on them. I grab a spare blanket on my way and toss it to Masanori as a peace offering._

**MASANORI** : Agh! What are you doing, you weirdo?!

 **SHUJI** : Giving you a blanket? Get cozy, it’s a sleepover.

 **MASANORI** : More like a torture...over…

 **KATHERINE** : Keep working on it, champ.

 **NORIKO** : Are you joining us, Shuji?

 **SHUJI** : I guess! I wanted to check on all of you. How are you enjoying the party?

 **MIKI** : Ohhh, it’s just PEACHY!

 **KATHERINE** : This party is lame.

 **NORIKO** : I’ll admit, the company has certainly been...uh...stimulating?

 **MIKI** : Eat shit, Noro!

 **NORIKO** : You see?

 **SHUJI** : Are you seriously still mad? You don’t see why we tied you up?

 **MIKI** : Don’t patronize me!

 **MASANORI** : Ugh, can you shove something in their mouth or something? I have a headache.

 **MIKI** : You always have a headache!!

 **MASANORI** : What was that? I don’t speak RAT!

 **MIKI** : And I don’t speak UGLY, so shut the fuck up!

 **SHUJI** : So, why force Nishimuraya to be here?

 **NORIKO** : Suzuki-san and I felt it was a safety concern. He’s pretty much a magnet for violence, and if he and only a few other people aren’t here, it just felt like a murder waiting to happen.

 **KATHERINE** : I don’t get why he doesn’t have to be tied to a chair.

 **NORIKO** : Well, he hasn’t tried to kill anyone.

 **MIKI** : Yet!!

 **KATHERINE** : This sucks.

 **MASANORI** : Are you sure you’re not Super High School Level Prison Warden?

 **NORIKO** : I am a knight, and it is my duty to protect everyone here.

 **MASANORI** : Maybe SHSL Bitch, ha.

 **SHUJI** : Is it just me or are his insults getting weaker?

 **MIKI** : He used up all his good ones before Creepy-san flipped out, and then he used all his creative and weird ones on Creepy-san, so now we’re left with the garbage.

 **SHUJI** : Do you...you know her name is Alena Agyros, right?

 **MIKI** : Don’t care.

 **KATHERINE** : Does it matter?

_Wow, tough crowd._

**SHUJI** : So, you said it’s been a while since you’ve been to a sleepover, right?

 **NORIKO** : Yeah, not since I was in middle school I think! I’ve been focused on my knight training for so long I really didn’t have the time for stuff like this after that.

 **SHUJI** : What does knight training consist of?

 **NORIKO** : A lot of working out, obviously I guess. There’s also horse riding, calligraphy, dancing, chivalry--

 **SHUJI** : Calligraphy and dancing, really?

 **NORIKO** : Sure. I have to inspire nobility in other people, you know?

 **SHUJI** : I just didn’t expect those things to go hand in hand.

 **NORIKO** : I’m sure lots of surprising things go into our talents. Yoyoing, for example… I have no idea how one becomes good at something like that!

 **MIKI** : Ugghh it’s just math!

 **KATHERINE** : Math? Really?

 **MIKI** : It’s physics! Most people do physics in their heads all the time without thinking, but really understanding it--I mean, I can’t really explain it to people like you.

 **MASANORI** : What, we’re too stupid to understand math?

 **MIKI** : I mean, aren’t you?

 **SHUJI** : I can’t do math, to be fair.

 **NORIKO** : I’ll admit, my grades slipped because I was so focused on other studies…

 **KATHERINE** : …

 **MIKI** : See what I mean?

 **MASANORI** : Oh, whatever. Math isn’t hard!

 **SHUJI** : Do you really need to understand physics that intimately for yoyoing?

 **MIKI** : Sure. When you have two of them, and the kinds that come off the string, it gets really complicated. Knowing how fast they’re going, how much they weigh, stuff like that helps you not get your strings tangled like a dope.

 **SHUJI** : Wow, that’s pretty impressive!

 **NORIKO** : Do you enjoy studying things like that?

 **MIKI** : Enough, I guess. I used to tutor kids in it after school.

 **KATHERINE** : So cool...

 **MASANORI** : Fucking…nerd…

 **SHUJI** : Weren’t you just saying math is easy?

 **MASANORI** : I’m no after school tutor! That’s so lame.

 **NORIKO** : I wonder if you just lack the disposition for it.

_Miki guffaws loudly._

**MIKI** : You tell ‘im, Noro.

 **MASANORI** : Oh, what? Now you’re on the side of the fucking cop?

 **NORIKO** : I’m not a cop.

 **KATHERINE** : Cop.

 **NORIKO** : I’m not--Okay, fine. I’m a cop. Does that make you feel better?

 **MIKI** : I hate cops.

_Noriko sighs deeply._

**MIDNIGHT**

_I’d just decided to leave Noriko and the angry babies to their own devices when Aika poked her head into the sitting room._

**AIKA** : Wow, you’re really doing it, aren’t you?

 **HEIJI** : Yeah! What is it we’re doing?

_She steps in and takes in the scenery, blowing her smoke into the room. Fumi coughs with a scowl._

**ROXXY** : Hey, like, could you stop smoking that in here? Blow it into the fireplace or something, right?

 **AIKA** : You must all be very stupid. This kind of get together… It’s just asking for death. Not that I mind, naturally.

 **NORIKO** : I don’t think that kind of talk is necessary.

 **AIKA** : Oh, you don’t like the truth? Okay. I’ll lie. You’re all going to live long, happy lives. Nobody is plotting your deaths right this very moment.

 **FUMI** : Ugh! What do you even get out of this?

 **KYO** : Do we even want to know what goes through her head?

 **YUI** : I am, admittedly, curious. Why do you act like this?

 **AIKA** : Maybe it just turns me on.

 **MASANORI** : UGH!!!

 **AIKA** : Ha. You guys are funny. Maybe I’ll join your sleepover after all.

_She comes in and settles down on the couch, blowing smoke directly at Fumi._

**FUMI** : Fine. You stay here.

_Fumi gets up to leave._

**ROXXY** : Aw, hey! Don’t go!

 **FUMI** : You guys enjoy the sleepover. I’m sick and tired of… Whatever. I’m tired.

_Fumi leaves, and Aika stays. It’s definitely a weird atmosphere._

**1 AM**

_BAM!_

**AIKA** : Noro is the clear victor.

 **HEIJI** : Aw come on! Two out of three!

 **NORIKO** : [Laughing.] Gladly.

_Lacking any tables, Noriko and Heiji have kicked Masanori off of his chair to kneel on the floor and arm wrestle on that. Aika sits on the back of the couch, facing us, smoking like a chimney and playing judge for a competition that I had previously believed didn’t need one._

**KATHERINE** : You’re hogging the competition.

 **AIKA** : Everyone gets to try two out of three against her. Once he’s done, you’ll go.

 **KYO** : You’re surprisingly good at coordinating stuff like this, Akiyama-san!

 **AIKA** : I always do love a good backhanded compliment. I do clinical trials. I’m not a slob.

_BAM!_

**HEIJI** : Damn!

 **MASANORI** : This is what happens when you get buff just to look nice.

 **HEIJI** : But I do look nice, right?

 **MASANORI** : Shut up, you himbo.

 **NORIKO** : I believe Kaimi-san’s muscles come from his sport, not just for aesthetics.

 **HEIJI** : Oh yeah, sure! But I also look nice!

 **AIKA** : It’s Ueda’s turn.

_Katherine gets to her knees and puts her elbow on the table, meeting Noriko’s eyes with a blank expression. Somehow, her normal neutral face sends a chill through the whole room. Noriko seems to the only one unaffected by the ice emanating from her, clasping her hand with a confident grin._

_BAM!_

**KATHERINE** : Again.

 **NORIKO** : As you say.

_BAM!_

_Is this even a contest?_

**KATHERINE** : Again.

 **AIKA** : That’s all your tries, I’m afraid.

 **KYO** : Honestly, what is she trying to accomplish?

 **SHUJI** : Maybe it’s some kind of strength training?

 **MASANORI** : What does a burn out child actor need strength training for?

 **MIKI** : Don’t call her a burn out you troglodyte!

 **AIKA** : Just move along, I don’t want to get bored.

 **KYO** : I’ll go next!

 **NORIKO** : I welcome the challenge!

_Kyo gets down on their knees as Katherine rises with a scoff, rolling up their silk pajama sleeves._

_BAM!_

**SHUJI** : Jeez, no contest, huh?

 **KYO** : Haha! Wow! That was like wrestling with a wall! What are you getting out of this, Noro-san?

 **NORIKO** : I’m glad to accept any challenge. You grow from failing challenges far more than succeeding at them, so I figured it’s a win-win!

 **AIKA** : You get one more round, if you like.

 **SHUJI** : Why are you supervising this, Akiyama-san?

 **AIKA** : Watching people behave in futile circumstances is a core aspect of my science.

 **SHUJI** : Whoa…

 **MASANORI** : Oh come on, she’s obviously lying. She just wants to fuck with you.

 **AIKA** : Maybe. Who knows? I do.

_She smirks._

_BAM!_

**KYO** : And that was all she wrote, I guess…

 **NORIKO** : You did a lot better, this time! Congratulations!

 **MASANORI** : Can I go?

 **MIKI** : Kick her ass for me!

 **MASANORI** : Um, no. Everything I do is for myself.

 **KYO** : Way to show the self love, dude!

 **MASANORI** : You sicken me.

_He clumsily squats and slams his elbow down on the chair so hard he visibly winces._

**NORIKO** : You’ll want to sit more carefully, if you have a stable base then--

 **AIKA** : Let’s begin.

_There’s a moment of struggling before Masanori starts to wobble, and, naturally--_

_BAM!_

**SHUJI** : Looks like she was right about having a stable base.

 **MASANORI** : Suck up!

 **SHUJI** : Why would I need to suck up to her?

 **MASANORI** : Teacher’s pet!

 **KATHERINE** : You weren’t kidding when you said he ran out of good insults.

 **MASANORI** : Bitch!

 **AIKA** : Let’s do the next round, please. This is getting boring.

_BAM!_

_It’s over almost before it began._

**SHUJI** : I think I’m the last one to try.

 **NORIKO** : Step on up!

 **SHUJI** : I want to be clear that I am not strong.

 **NORIKO** : I’m sure you’re stronger than you know!

_I get down on my knees, shuffling a bit before I’m comfortable, and set my elbow on the table. Noriko smiles at me as she does the same. When Aika says to begin, I heave with all my might against Noriko’s arm._

_It’s ridiculous. It doesn’t even think about moving. I’m sure my face is getting red with effort. Is she even trying?_

_She nods encouragingly, and when I strain against her, she finally starts to move. But in the wrong direction._

_BAM!_

**SHUJI** : I feel like I should have predicted that outcome.

 **AIKA** : I know I did.

 **NORIKO** : Round two?

_The next one goes faster. She doesn’t even give me a chance, this time. She unleashes her full strength and I feel like a gnat in a tsunami for the one second it takes for her to conquer my arm._

**SHUJI** : I think I need to work out.

_Noriko laughs delightedly and stands, but Katherine and Heiji are already getting in line to try to tackle her again._

**1 AM**

**ROXXY** : So, like, do you want me to make it look lumpier?

 **ISEI** : Why lumpier?

 **ROXXY** : You’ve got this whole, like, grungey punk thing and having immaculate nails is very chic, so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to ruin your whole look!

 **YUI** : That’s very considerate of you, Rose-san.

 **ROXXY** : Puh-lease, call me Roxxy!

 **ISEI** : Hmm…

 **SHUJI** : I think you should get them done nice. They’ll get ratty on their own, right?

 **ISEI** : You didn’t agree to get your nails painted, that means you don’t get an opinion.

 **SHUJI** : Fair enough. Go lumpy then!

 **ROXXY** : It will be very post-rock dumpster diving vibe which is something I fully support.

 **YUI** : Really? I would have expected you to be far more interested in more...civilized aesthetics.

 **ROXXY** : No way! I mean, yes, I am personally. But the first iteration of my show was very glam rock, so I studied a lot of genres and like, I respect committing to pretty much any aesthetic. Like, if you’ve got it, go for it, right?

 **SHUJI** : What’s your show’s aesthetic now, then?

 **ROXXY** : I’ve gone in a really spice girls direction! Like, the sparkle and fun tackiness of my childhood!

 **YUI** : Is that the aesthetic you’ve committed yourself to?

 **ROXXY** : Yeah! But it’s not like I don’t absolutely dig your sexy librarian thing.

 **YUI** : [Blushing.] Sexy librarian?

 **ROXXY** : Ooh, look down your nose at me harder, right?

_Roxxy laughs at her own joke, and carefully applies another layer of black nail polish to Isei’s nails._

**SHUJI** : What’s mine?

 **ROXXY** : You’ve got this super cute boy next door kind of thing. Like, I see you and immediately want you to bake me cookies that smell like home, except not like, my home necessarily? Cuz my mom doesn’t bake, she’s much more of a healthy take out kind of person. Gotta looove those healthy veggie smoothies, right?

_Huh. I didn’t really know I had an aesthetic. I think of all the patches on my jeans, and the fraying cuffs._

**SHUJI** : You don’t think I’m too grubby for that?

 **ROXXY** : As if! It’s this whole down to earth vibe! Like, yes these pants are second hand! Own it!

 **ISEI** : I like your outlook, Roxxy-san. It’s very positive.

_She beams at him, and gets back to work on his nails._

**2 AM**

_Aika finally gets bored of the party around the time Yui decides she’s becoming tired enough to be a risk to the group._

_Noriko escorts both of them to their rooms to be safe, leaving Heiji in charge of keeping an eye on Masanori and Miki. Masanori swears a lot, but Heiji takes it with a smile._

_I stoke the fire._

**3 AM**

_Now even Kyo is flagging, and they apologize extensively before going to bed._

_Heiji is next. After falling asleep on the couch and snoring loudly enough to startle me out of my sleepy reverie, Noriko tells him that it’s probably best for him to get some rest in his room before The Fey appears to yell at us._

_I consider going with him, but I don’t. There’s a kind of quiet peace in the room, now._

**4 AM**

**MASANORI** : At this point I’m ready to fall asleep just to spite all of you. I hope I fall asleep and The Fey shows up and blows up and we all die.

 **NORIKO** : Okay, okay. It’s time.

_She escorts him to his room, and returns looking fresher just for having spent the walk back without him berating her._

_Miki and Katherine are talking about something, but too quietly and privately for me to want to eavesdrop._

_Isei and I have taken to lying on the floor._

**5 AM**

_Isei brews coffee and tea for all of us, and the illusion of energy comes to us for a while._

**NORIKO** : So, were your birth parents involved at all?

 **ISEI** : [Shrugging.] Not really? They didn’t live in the city, so it was hard for them to take time to come visit me.

 **SHUJI** : You don’t feel abandoned at all?

 **ISEI** : Why should I? They were really young when they had me. It made sense for my dad to let his older sister take care of me.

 **ROXXY** : Still, she’s not giving off exactly, like, super heavy mom vibes, right?

 **ISEI** : Nah, she was always my aunt. But she was good for me. If it weren’t for her being a private detective, I probably never would have gotten interested in criminal biographies.

 **SHUJI** : She sounds super cool. Do you get your sense of style from her?

 **ISEI** : A bit, yeah. She thinks I’m a total dope for dressing the way I do, though.

 **SHUJI** : Well, are you a dope?

 **NORIKO** : That’s a rude question.

 **SHUJI** : Sorry, my filter is slipping. I mean, is it all an act? The tough thing?

 **ISEI** : I...don’t really know.

**6 AM**

_We’re back to lying on the floor._

_Occasionally Miki whispers something that makes Katherine giggle, which feels very surreal._

**7 AM**

**THE FEY** : Goood morning campers! It is now 7 AM! I see someone of you didn’t sleep last night! I personally approve. It makes murders way easier if people aren’t sleeping!

_I lurch forward when the announcement goes off._

**ISEI** : We made it…

 **NORIKO** : You may all go to bed now. You probably need it.

 **ROXXY** : I’m...fiiine…

 **SHUJI** : I’m going to sleep for a thousand years, thank you very much.

_Noriko laughs weakly as I take off toward my room. What were we even trying to accomplish with that sleepover? I don’t remember._

_I make it to my room without incident, only fumbling the key like six times with my sleepy fingers. I sit on the bed, and look around happily for a moment. Sleep is soon._

_But something catches my eye._

_On my desk is a fat envelope. Part of me already knows what’s going to be in it, but I open it anyway._

_It’s a fat stack of money, probably over a million yen. And a note. “There’s more where that came from.”_

_I feel sick. This is horrible. I push the money and the note into the trash can next to my desk, and crawl into bed. I sleep dreamlessly, despite everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Nobody's dead? Well, yet.
> 
> Better keep reading.


	8. Chapter One: Persistence (4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji gets an opportunity to talk to Roxxy, Masanori, Kyo, and Yui. All good conversations all around.
> 
> Nothing bad happens in this chapter, don't worry. Nobody gets hurt. Not even one person.

**MASANORI:** I’m so pissed off to say this, but this is actually pretty good.

**SHUJI:** You don’t have to be mad about if if you don’t want to.

_ Once again, the duty of making breakfast for everyone has fallen on me--although, this time it’s decidedly lunch time. I don’t mind too much; it gives me something to do. It also results in me spending time with...interesting people. _

**KYO:** He just likes being mad about stuff. I’m getting used to it.

**MASANORI:** Shut up, cunt.

**KYO:** See?

**SHUJI:** Hey, apologize. Or you’re not gonna get any of my cooking again.

**MASANORI:** ...Fine. I’m sorry, Katayama-san, for my rudeness.

_ How can someone apologize in such an even voice and look so petulant? He’s like a little kid. _

**SHUJI:** Hey, Nishimuraya-san. Are you an only child?

**MASANORI:** [Wary and confused.] No. Why are you asking?

**SHUJI:** I don’t know, you just remind me of a little brother type sometimes. How many siblings do you have?

**MASANORI:** ...One. A little sister.

**SHUJI:** Is she cute?

**MASANORI:** The cutest. She’s eight this year.

**KYO:** Technically I’m not sure we know what year it is.

**MASANORI:** Oh shut the fuck up.

**SHUJI** : Do you act this mean to your sister?

**MASANORI:** What? Of course not. She’s family. She’s not a stranger who’s out to get me, like you jerks.

**KYO:** What makes you think we’re out to get you?

**MASANORI:** Oh, cut the psychological crap, will you? We’re in a Murder! Mansion! You’re all gonna fucking kill me and I know it.

_ It’s hard to imagine him being nice to anyone, even family, but it’s good to know he has a heart somewhere underneath all that anger and unpleasantness. Now if I could just get it to...show, a little. _

**SHUJI:** I’m not out to get you, dude.

**MASANORI:** Sounds like something someone who’s out to get me would say.

**KYO:** He has a point.

**MASANORI:** Agreeing with people won’t get them to like you, fucker.

**KYO:** Mm, that’s where you’re wrong. Not surprising you don’t have many friends, honestly, with an attitude like that.

**SHUJI:** Do you wear that mask because you’re scared of people?

_ He glares at me. _

**SHUJI:** I’m not asking to be mean or anything. I’m trying to get to know you. Is that so bad?

**MASANORI:** Sometimes! People! Are! Ugly!

_ With that, he storms out of the room, carrying his bowl of cream of wheat with him. Huh. I guess I pushed too far. _

_ It left just Kyo and I sitting at the large dining room table, making chitchat. Eventually, Kyo got up to take their dishes into the kitchen, and took mine as well. They’re a lot more down to earth than you would expect from the heir to trillions of yen. The friendly wink as they departed made it clear they knew they were doing me a favor, but I didn’t mind. After all, I’d made breakfast. _

_ I left to the sitting room, and started up the fire again. Aika had kindly left her lighter on the mantle above the fireplace for me to use. _

_ On second thought, it seems like someone might’ve stolen it from her and put it there for me. Aika doesn’t really seem like the kindly or helpful type, after all. _

_ Once the fire is started, I’m left at loose ends. It turns out, without internet, there’s not a lot to do in a fancy mansion. The tension of ‘will one of us turn out to be a murderer’ doesn’t help, naturally, but I am pretty much a champ at putting stressful things out of my head. _

_ As long as I have a distraction. _

_ Which I currently do not. _

_ What I decide to do is take a shower. I’ve been avoiding the fancy hotel bedrooms since we got here, except to go to the bathroom and to go to sleep, because of the whole sound-proof thing. As a result it’s been a few days since I showered, which I’m pretty used to out of necessity. Still, I don’t want to smell bad. _

_ The bathroom in the bedroom suite provided is...amazing. It’s so big. It’s bigger than the entire bedroom I had when I lived with my parents.  _

_ If I close my eyes and pretend that everything is okay, this shower is the best thing that’s ever happened in recent recollection. Though, since I can’t remember any of high school, it could have been beat out by something in that gap. Which...isn’t a very pleasant thought. _

_ I squeeze my eyes tighter, and try to let the hot water relax me. _

_ It works! A little. _

_ I dry off, and peek in the massive closet available to me. There’s my clothes. Basically anything that would have been in my duffel, plus some fancy dress clothes. They’re a lot more colorful than typical men’s wear, which gives me mixed feelings, but I don’t plan on wearing them anyway. _

_ I change into another sweater-jeans combo and head out of my room again. _

_ When I open my door to face the mansion, Roxxy is standing in front of it, her fist raised as if to knock on the door and a surprised expression on her face. _

**ROXXY:** Oh! Hi! Are you awake?

**SHUJI:** I think so? What’s up, Roxxy-chan.

**ROXXY:** First off, I love that we’re close enough to call each other by our given names. It’s super cute. Secondly, do you wanna hang out?

**SHUJI:** Sure, but what are we gonna do?

**ROXXY:** [Pouts.] That’s the problem. I’m bored to tears and I’m probably annoying Fumi-chan by hanging around her so often. But she’s so soft and sweet she wouldn’t  _ say _ that so I’m stuck wandering around and like, I don’t think a murderer’s gonna come get me, but also what if he does? So I want company.

**SHUJI:** [Laughing.] Sounds like sound logic to me. How are you so sure I’m not a murderer?

**ROXXY:** Uh, you’re the champion of not-murder! You’re practically giving birth to people you’re so anti-murder. Plus Aika-chan said that you were doing all of that as a cover up for how murderous you are, and she’s a lying snake, so...you’re obviously squeaky clean! Duh!

**SHUJI:** I’m glad to have your vote of trust.

**ROXXY:** Yeah, no problem! So what should we do to pass the time?

**SHUJI:** I was actually wondering the same thing. I’m caught up on the missing memories thing, though, so maybe we could try to figure all that out?

**ROXXY:** The Fey did say something about invasive surgeries, right? I’m no medical expert--Doctor. That’s the word. I’m no doctor, but I’m not convinced we can fiddle around in our own brains.

**SHUJI:** Wow, did she say that specifically?

**ROXXY:** Yeah! I’ve got a super-duper memory for dialogue. It comes in handy.

**SHUJI:** I was hoping we could just try talking and see if anything jogs memories.

**ROXXY:** Oh, like personal exposition?

**SHUJI:** What?

**ROXXY:** Oh, nothing. We just need to get to know each other!

**SHUJI:** Wanna get a third wheel for safety, like Suzuki-san suggested?

**ROXXY:** _ [Shrugs.]  _ If you want. I trust you not to kill, and I trust myself not to kill, so it’s no big deal. Wanna go to the foyer? I like those plants. They’re sooo cute!

**SHUJI:** Sure.

_ We head over to the foyer in relative silence--the clacking of Roxxy’s huge high heels breaking it up with each step. When we arrive in the foyer, Masanori is sitting at the uppermost step before the gate blocks his path, picking at one of the peace lilies.  _

_ Roxxy and I exchange a glance and mutually decide to ignore him, taking seats on the lower steps.  _

**ROXXY:** So what kind of stuff do you think would jog your memories?

**SHUJI:** Do you think we were friends before we graduated?

**ROXXY:** I’m friends with everybody, silly. But that’s a good question. For all we know, you could have been dating Nishi-chan up there and we wouldn’t know it.

**SHUJI:** I...doubt that was the case.

**ROXXY:** Why? Are you straight?

_ She asks it with an uncomfortable expression, as though she didn’t want to assume the worst about me. _

**SHUJI:** What? No, of course not. Jesus, do I look straight?

**ROXXY:** _[Horrified]_ No! Oh I didn’t mean to imply that!

**SHUJI:** All these patches on my jeans and you ask if I’m straight…

**ROXXY:** I’m sorry! I’m sorry! But then, why not Nishi-chan?

_ Besides the obvious issues with Masanori, I’m assuming she means... _

**SHUJI:** I just don’t get the feeling I was dating anybody. What about you?

**ROXXY:** I almost definitely had a girlfriend. I hope it was--

_ She cuts herself off and looks at me, wide eyed, for just a moment. _

**ROXXY:** Say, to change the subject entirely, what do you think of Fumi-chan? This has absolutely nothing to do with what we were just talking about.

_ Yeah...totally different subject, alright. She couldn’t be more obvious if she tried. _

**SHUJI:** I like her alright, but I don’t know her that well. Do you know what her talent is?

**ROXXY:** _[Confidently.]_ Letter writer.

**SHUJI:** I meant more...what does she do? What does that mean?

**ROXXY:** Oh! Duh! I asked her that on day-one. She was professionally hired to write letters for people who couldn’t write them for themselves. Love letters, mostly. People who aren’t eloquent or don’t know how to express themselves would pay her to write their sweetest feelings! Isn’t that amazing?

**SHUJI:** Wow! That’s really cool! She must be super expressive, then.

**ROXXY:** I know, she’s incredible. She’s clumsy with words out loud, because she gets all blushy trying to talk about stuff, but she’s just soooo cute.

_ Well, at least I’m not the only one here who’s obviously not straight. _

**SHUJI:** I bet you two were friends in high school, at least.

**ROXXY:** If we weren’t, then I’m almost glad for this fucked up murder situation, if it means we get to be friends now. Hey! That’s a positive way of looking at all this! It’s a whole new context for friendships to form!

**SHUJI:** You should write that down. In a letter maybe.

**ROXXY:** You mean...to Fumi-chan?

**SHUJI:** Why not? I think she’d appreciate the sentiment. You’d just need paper and a pen, so it’s easy as far as presents go.

**MASANORI:** There’s some stationary in the supply closet by the dorms.

**ROXXY:** Huh? What? Something helpful? Do you...care about that sort of thing, Nishi-chan?

**MASANORI:** What? No. I don’t care about any of that shit.

**ROXXY:** _ [Suspicious.]  _ Are you secretly a softie who loves love notes?

**MASANORI** : I’d rather puke.

**ROXXY:** What do you care about, then?

_ She turns to face him, her face caught between irritation and genuine curiosity. He looks taken aback by the attention and the question in equal measure. _

**MASANORI:** I don’t care about fuck all. Leave me alone.

**ROXXY:** Nuh-uh, we’ve got you trapped on the stairs, lover boy! Tell us what you care about or we’ll just think you’re a monster forever!

**MASANORI:** I told you! I don’t care about anything! I care about getting the fuck out of here!

**SHUJI:** ...He cares about his family. His little sister at least.

**ROXXY:** Well that’s easy! I care about my family too! My mom is the best in the world.

**MASANORI:** I care about my mom, I guess. But that doesn’t matter here!

**SHUJI** : Caring about stuff matters. The Fey is trying to get to us with stuff we care about, but if we’re open about it...I don’t know, I think we can’t hurt each other with it as much.

**MASANORI** : ...Fine. But I’m doing this only as a way to be defended from assholes like you. If you use this to stab me in the back you’re gonna regret it.

**ROXXY:** Yay! Oh, maybe you’re not so bad! Tell me about your mom and I’ll tell you about mine. That way it’s equal, right?

**MASANORI** : ...Deal. I just generally don’t trust pretty people further than I can throw ‘em, so don’t expect this to mean we’re friends.

**ROXXY:** Oh! I’m pretty! How far could you throw me?

**MASANORI:** Not very far.

**ROXXY:** Oh, you were saying you don’t trust me? But at least you said I was pretty! So, thank you! Why don’t you trust pretty people?

**MASANORI:** I said I’d talk about my mom. That’s it. Anything else and I’m jumping over you and breaking my neck on the stairs.

**SHUJI:** Let’s...avoid that.

**ROXXY:** My mom was a model before she had me, but she retired to focus on family. When I started trying to get into entertainment, all her friends from being a model were super helpful. She’s been my most loyal friend and coach, and some people say we look like sisters! What about yours?

**MASANORI:** My mom doesn’t look anything like me.

**SHUJI:** What’s she look like?

**MASANORI:** Well, she’s beautiful, for starters. She’s...nice, too. Cares too much about everyone. I have to be the way I am to protect her. She’d get taken advantage of by all the assholes in the world if I weren’t there.

**ROXXY** : Wow!! That’s so noble!

_ Is it really? Being nice has never seemed like a weakness to me… _

**MASANORI:** No it’s not, so shove your fake praise!

**ROXXY** : I’m not fake about anything, Nishi-chan! Please, let’s be friends. I’ll protect you the way you protect your mom! Since you’re so awful to everyone, you’re not gonna have any friends, but if I’m around being nice, then nobody will wanna hurt you!

**MASANORI:** God, you’re so fucking dumb.

_ Roxxy frowns slightly--not out of sadness or being insulted. She looks frustrated more than anything. She genuinely wants to help him, doesn’t she? _

**MASANORI:** But fine. We can be “friends,” but only until we get out of here.

**ROXXY:** Yay! Can I tell people how nice you are?

**MASANORI:** Don’t lie.

**ROXXY:** Scout’s honor! I’m not a girl scout or anything but the concept still stands. I’ll just talk about how you’re not what meets the eye, and that’s just true for anyone, isn’t it? Like how Shu-chan looks ambiguously straight!

**SHUJI:** Hey!

**ROXXY:** I’m kidding!

**MASANORI:** _[Hiding laughter with tears in his eyes]_ You guys are so stupid…

_ Ultimately, I don’t get any memories back from the conversation, but it’s rewarding nonetheless. Roxxy gets me to agree to introduce Masanori to people in a less aggressive context, to see if he can genuinely bond with more people in the mansion, and we part ways. _

_ After dinner, I start to head to bed to sort out my thoughts for the evening as has become my habit when Alena tugs on my sleeve. I haven’t seen her since the sleepover, so I jump when I feel her. _

**ALENA:** …

**SHUJI:** What’s up? Are you okay?

**ALENA** : …

_ She looks more freaked out than usual. Her wide eyes are...well, pretty wide, and she looks faintly sweaty. _

**SHUJI:** Talk to me, please. Wanna come to my room?

**ALENA:** I’m...Yes. Your room.

_ I lead her to my room and let her sit in my desk chair. There isn’t a lot of other seating around, so I sit cross legged on my bed. _

**SHUJI:** Are you scared?

_ Alena takes a breath as if to speak, and bursts into tears instead. Silent sobs wrack her body as she continues to stare at me, tears pouring down her face. It’s uncanny. This is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been watching someone cry, and watching someone cry isn’t ever very comfortable. _

**SHUJI:** I’m scared too.

**ALENA:** You are?

**SHUJI:** My family...I don’t have a lot of money. I’ve never been in a stable position and I know how much money can fix. It’s scary.

**ALENA:** Would you kill for it?

_ Her tears have slowed, and she’s staring at me with that creepy gaze. It’s intense. _

**SHUJI:** No. I couldn’t. But it doesn’t stop being scary.

**ALENA:** I’m scared of being killed. I’m so scared. I...it’s like I can feel it. How badly people want to kill. Everyone needs money.

**SHUJI:** Kyo-san said they didn’t!

**ALENA:** …

**SHUJI:** Okay, you’re right. Almost everybody needs money. It’s super terrifying. But I don’t think anybody will kill.

**ALENA:** They will.

**SHUJI:** How can you know that? We all want to get out of here alive, don’t we?

**ALENA:** And people will kill to get out of here alive.

**SHUJI:** No one here is a murderer!

**ALENA:** Aika Akiyama, Masanori Nishimuraya, Miki Dan.

**SHUJI:** Is that...are those people you think could commit murder?

**ALENA:** Maybe Noriko Noro too. I haven’t decided about her yet. She’s strong. 

**SHUJI:** What will it take for me to get you to believe that these people won’t hurt you?

**ALENA:** _[Shrug.]_ Nothing. Everything. You can’t.

**SHUJI:** Will you at least let me try?

**ALENA:** …  _ [Shrug.] _

**SHUJI:** I can protect you.

_ Alena looks me up and down. _

**ALENA:** You’re weak.

**SHUJI:** You’ve got a point, I am weak. But I also know that friends don’t kill friends. I can protect you by having people get to know you. Then they won’t want to kill you, even if they want to kill.

**ALENA:** ...friends? I can’t be friends.

**SHUJI:** You’re my friend. You’re Roxxy-chan’s friend. I bet you could be friends with lots of people.

**ALENA:** Who.

**SHUJI:** I had a really good conversation with Nishimuraya-san today. I think you two have more in common than you’d think.

**ALENA:** _ [Disgusted.] _ …

**SHUJI:** Don’t make that face. He cares deeply about his mom, and is willing to do anything to protect his family. Sound familiar? Roxxy-chan and I are gonna be starting this whole crusade to get people to be friends with him, too.

**ALENA:** That sounds...difficult.

**SHUJI:** Yeah it’ll be a real hassle, but it’ll give me something to do. Will you come hang out with me and him? If he gets too nasty we can always leave, but I think it might be nice. We can hang out in the sitting room. I’ll make cocoa.

**ALENA:** ...fine. I don’t trust anyone yet. But fine.

**SHUJI:** Do you trust me?

**ALENA:** _[Smiles weakly]_ Yes. We’re friends.

_ I lead Alena out of my room and into her own, where we say goodnight. As I start to go back to my room, Masanori walks by. I let him know the plan for meeting up with Alena around lunch the next day. He seems grouchy, but willing, and I take that as a good sign. _

**MIKI:** It’s been like two weeks, I think I’ve learned my lesson.

**NORIKO** : It’s been two days.

**KYO:** And what lesson was that?

**MIKI:** Don’t...attack people…

_ We’re sitting in the dining room to chat, with Miki firmly tied to that chair. Who knew knights knew so much about knots? _

_ I’ve already settled into something of a routine, as I imagine all kidnapping victims must do at some point. I wake up, I make breakfast for whoever wants it, I start up the fire (the supply of firewood never seems to dry up, which is nice), and I wander around finding people to talk to. _

_ In a while, I’ll be meeting up with Masanori and Alena to try to find common ground in the group. I think I’ll try Masanori and Isei next, since Isei seems trustworthy. _

**KYO:** Why do I get the feeling you didn’t actually learn not to attack people?

**MIKI:** Maybe it’s because I’m tied to a fucking chair and can’t appropriately express myself.

_ I’m content to sit back and watch this exchange play out as I drink my tea. I’m not the boss here, and I’m fine with that. _

**KATHERINE:** I could watch them.

**NORIKO:** You mean to stand guard?

**KATHERINE:** Uh, sure. Whatever. Miki, can I keep you company so everybody trusts you don’t go off the rails?

**MIKI:** I’m about as on the rails as I can get right now, thanks.

**KYO:** Yeah, you’re literally tied to them.

**NORIKO:** If you agree to let Ueda-san keep you company, I’ll untie you.

_ Miki looks frustrated, but after glancing at Katherine, they nod stiffly. Noriko walks over and calmly unties the impregnable knots. Miki stands up and stretches their arms, exchanges a significant look with Katherine, and the two leave. _

_ According to the clock on the wall, before long it’ll be time to meet up with Masanori and Alena. _

**SHUJI:** I should probably get going soon. I made plans with Nishimuraya-san and Alena-chan.

**KYO:** [Raises an eyebrow.] That’s odd.

**SHUJI:** Is it? I know Nishimuraya is...well, let’s be plain, he’s a huge asshole. But I think if he gets used to being around people--

**KYO:** No, I know you’re all about trying to help people. It’s admirable. But making plans? What’s the point? You know I trust you implicitly, Saji-kun, but I feel like isolating any group of people is...I don’t know, dangerous?

**SHUJI:** Oh, um...it was my idea. I thought Alena-chan should have more time to prepare for having to interact with Nishimuraya-san, and he’d need some time to decompress after hanging out with Roxxy-chan.

**KYO:** Hmm. I guess that makes sense I just...I don’t know, maybe it’s paranoid of me to worry about that sort of thing. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

**SHUJI:** It will. Thanks for worrying, though. Someone’s gotta, right?

_ Kyo smiles at me, their warm eyes watching me perhaps a little more closely than usual. I don’t know if that’s a look of respect or...something else. For such an open person, they’re pretty hard to read. _

//Masanori enters, looking tired.

**MASANORI:** Hey, Saji-san.

**SHUJI:** Oh hey dude. I was just talking about you. In a good, positive, non traitory way.

**MASANORI:** [Narrows eyes.] Well when you put it like that of course I’m gonna think you’re fucking lying.

**SHUJI:** Yeah I definitely should have seen that coming. I was just telling Katayama-san that I was about to leave to go meet up with you.

**MASANORI:** That’s why I’m here.

**SHUJI:** Oh, you wanna walk together? Cool, we can go collect Alena-chan on our way.

**MASANORI:** No, you dipshit. Agyros-san cancelled. I knocked on her door to see if she was coming and she practically screamed at me.

**SHUJI:** Screamed…?

**MASANORI:** She’s so fucked up and paranoid about the murder thing she decided that our whole plan was suspicious. She called both of us murderers.

**KYO:** Well, it kindof is.

**SHUJI:** She must have gotten set off again.

**MASANORI:** I guess she’s assuming we were gonna team up and kill her or something. Bitch.

**SHUJI:** Hey. Don’t talk about her like that.

**MASANORI:** Yeah, whatever. I’ll behave. Don’t know why you’d wanna hang out with someone so off putting...but whatever. 

**SHUJI:** Haha...yeah...why would I…

_ Kyo muffles a laugh. _

**MASANORI:** Do you still wanna hang out?

_ I glance over at Kyo, who looks concerned. They look at me, but their expression doesn’t change. _

**SHUJI:** The whole point was getting you to talk to new people...Why don’t you try being nice to someone?

**KYO:** Pure Virtual-san, Roxxy-chan, and the Kaimi siblings have been taking inventory of the supply room, if you’d like to help out.

**MASANORI:** Oh, and make me do all the work? You just wanna get rid of me!

**SHUJI:** Actually I think that’s a good idea. Plus, isn’t it smart to make sure you know anything that could be used against you?

**MASANORI:** Would they...accept me?

_ Was that...was that Masanori letting his guard down? _

**SHUJI:** Roxxy-chan will vouch for you. Go on, be nice.

_ Masanori hesitates for a moment, and then leaves. _

**SHUJI:** Do you think I should check on her?

_ Kyo hums for a bit. _

**KYO** : How did that go the other night?

**SHUJI** : She screamed at me.

**KYO** : I think giving her space is probably the best thing. She’s behind a locked door, right? She’ll be safe.

**SHUJI** : Yeah…

**KYO:** Actually, I have a favor to ask you, Saji-kun.

**SHUJI:** Huh? What’s up?

**KYO:** Teach me to do laundry.

_ They stare at me, their gaze entirely level, their mouth curling slightly at the corners. It’s almost expectant, but not in the needy way most people look at me when they want something.  _

**SHUJI:** Oh, that’s all? Sure.

_ Kyo breaks into a wide smile and sighs in what seems to be relief. I didn’t expect so much tension from just asking for a basic lesson, but they look totally relaxed now that I’ve agreed. Maybe Kyo is just as weird as the rest of us in here. I guess you can’t hyper-specialize at something as a kid and teenager and not come out a little bit odd, right? _

_ We leave the dining room together to find Yui, who has joined the group trying to write down everything in the supply room. It seems like a truly monumental task, since the writers themselves didn’t really feel like figuring out everything that went in there, but we steal her away to hang out while we do laundry. I spot Masanori and give him a nod, and I think he makes a face at me. It’s hard to tell with the mask.  _

_ The next stop is Kyo’s room, to gather their dirty laundry. Their room is almost identical to mine, but they’ve taken the time to decorate it a little. They’ve hung colorful scarves on the walls, covering the metal paneled window with something patterned and cute, and littered their entire desk with makeup and other grooming accessories. _

_ Nothing strikes me as particularly odd, but reminds me that I should probably customize my living space a bit since I’ll be here for a while. _

_ I shake my head vigorously. I refuse to get used to this place. We’re going to get rescued, or figure out a way to escape, and nobody’s gonna die! I repeat it in my head so I don’t forget. It’s important. _

**KYO:** You alright?

_ They’re looking at me with one eyebrow raised, but their expression is mostly just concerned. _

**SHUJI:** Oh, yeah. Just lost in thought. Say, where’d you get that mirror on your desk?

**KYO:** I hated the lighting in the bathroom, so I rifled through that supply closet until I found a standing mirror I could put on my desk! The lighting is tres natural in here, don’t you think?

**YUI:** That closet is really full of random things. I half wonder if there might be weapons or something else dangerous in there…

**SHUJI:** Is that why you were doing inventory?

**YUI:** That’s the spirit behind it, anyway.

**KYO:** Do we have to bring our own laundry sauce, or is it in the laundry place already?

**YUI:** Detergent.

**SHUJI:** No it’s definitely laundry sauce. I’m the laundry expert here, Yui-san, don’t forget.

_ I grin at her with the confidence that only somebody who’s just told a really mediocre joke can muster. _

**YUI:** _[Smiling shyly]_ Oh, I suppose I did forget.

**KYO:** Answer the question!

**SHUJI:** Do you have any laundry sauce in here?

**KYO:** ...No. I suppose I’d have to raid that closet again.

**SHUJI:** If you don’t have it, then we can assume it’s in the laundry room. C’mon, got your stuff?

_ Kyo makes an affirmative noise and hoists their laundry basket on their hip like a French peasant in the 1600s with a basket full of potatoes, or wheat, or whatever French peasants grow. They look firm and strong in their convictions, but the effect passes when they lock eyes with me and grin. _

_ I gesture for the pair to follow me, and we make our way to the laundromat without incident. I demonstrate throwing clothes in the washer, dumping some ‘laundry sauce’ in with complete abandon, and pressing the ‘go’ button. _

**KYO:** Well now I’m embarrassed.

**SHUJI:** Why’s that?

**KYO:** That was ridiculously easy. I didn’t need someone to teach me that.

**SHUJI:** Well there’s the hidden final step that’s actually rather time consuming.

**KYO:** _[Eyes lit up.]_ Oh? Have I need for a teacher after all, perchance?

**SHUJI:** Yup, here’s how it goes.

_ I pull up a seat on one of the folding chairs stashed around the room, and snatch a magazine from the rack along the wall. _

**SHUJI:** Now we have to wait for it to beep.

_ Kyo looks disappointed for a moment, but smiles cheerfully at me all the same. The two of them mimic my action, and we sit in a small triangle so we can chat as we wait. _

_ The magazine isn’t recent. It isn’t even a good one, about celebrities or science or anything. It seems to be a bunch of pictures of The Fey, posing in various rooms in the Mansion. Apparently they can make kissy faces if they want to. I hate it. _

_ All of the articles are about methods to kill someone. Apparently, people can bleed out in just a few minutes if they’re cut in the right place. It’s disgusting. _

_ I toss the magazine to the side not a full minute after picking it up. _

**YUI:** Something on your mind?

_ Saying ‘The Fey is annoying’ would be way too boring and predictable. Now my mind is so preoccupied with death… Ugh.  _

**SHUJI:** Have you ever had a near-death experience?

**YUI:** _ [Alarmed]  _ What?

**KYO:** _ [Intensely amused] _ Now that’s a question! I should write that down for ice breakers to use at parties!

**SHUJI:** _[Laughing awkwardly]_ Ha, well, have you?

**YUI:** I have, actually. It’s quite the story.

**KYO:** It was when we were in late elementary school, I think. We all--

**SHUJI:** Kyo-san, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to hear Yui-san tell it. It’s her near death, right?

**KYO:** Oh...of course, naturally. Yui, take it away.

**YUI:** _[Adjusting her glasses]_ Very well. It’s as Kyo says, when we were in late elementary school. There was a class trip to the beach, and I unfortunately did not know how to swim. Being a foolish and adventurous child, I did not let that stop me from playing in the waves.

**KYO:** Adventure isn’t foolish!

**YUI:** It is when you’re 11 years old and nearly drown, I would think.

**KYO:** It was that early adventurous nature that lead us to meet! It paid off, in a way.

**YUI:** That’s...true. Either way, I came very close to drowning. When people picture someone drowning, they picture someone with their arms flailing over their head, with screams and gasps. When you picture someone drowning, it’s obvious. It’s easy to fix. That’s not how people really drown.

**KYO:** I saw her in the water, mostly limp, bobbing in the waves. Everybody else was preparing to leave, and the teachers had their hands full of every other student who was whining and complaining or babbling excitedly--you know, how kids do.

**YUI:** There were multiple classes present on the trip, after all. I don’t blame them for not noticing me there. I was conscious, but only barely. I was so sure I would die, but I didn’t know what death meant. I had passed fear into...almost calmness. Kyo saved me.

**SHUJI:** What? Kyo did?

**KYO:** I noticed her in the water, and I didn’t even think about it. I’ve always been a strong swimmer, so I dove in and went after her.

**YUI** : The lifeguards at the beach were so embarrassed.

**SHUJI:** That’s incredible! You literally saved her life! No wonder you two are so close!

**KYO:** We’ve been best friends ever since! Her family’s pretty poor, so I was able to help out with her transition and stuff in middle school, buying clothes and what not. She’s the best person in the world to help, so it’s easy.

**YUI:** _[Embarrassed]_ Don’t act as if you’re not in need of help yourself, Mx I Don’t Know How to Do Laundry.

**KYO:** I know how to now, don’t I? You just shove it all in there.

**SHUJI:** Couldn’t have put it better myself. What an apt pupil.

**YUI:** Don’t flatter them too much, they’ll believe you.

**SHUJI:** Haha, I’ll keep that in mind. But that really is amazing! Talk about friendship forged through fire! Or, uh, water. In this case.

**KYO:** It was a life changing event for the both of us, though I’d wager Yui got more out of it.

**YUI:** What’s a life compared to an entire career?

**SHUJI:** Are you saying that Kyo-san saving your life starting their career from saving you? I’m not sure I follow.

**KYO:** Well, because of--

**SHUJI:** Also a life is definitely more important than a career. Sorry for interrupting. Go on.

**KYO:** _[Easy going]_ I’m with you on that, Shuji-kun. Yui’s life is more valuable than anything yet I’ve done. But I will go on, thank you! I got a lot of media attention for saving Yui’s life, and with some help from Yui and my parents, I tried to do something good with it. I threw my first charity dinner, open only to my classmates at the time, that same year. They paid for their entry, and the money they paid went toward better funding for lifeguards as well as swimming lessons for those without access to them.

**SHUJI:** That’s incredible! Both of you really affected each other’s lives to the point of shaping each other as people.

**KYO:** I’m grateful for Yui every single day. She’s very, very good at what she does.

**YUI:** And Kyo is too quick to downplay their own achievements. If they, personally, were not so good at party planning and execution, their charity galas would be meaningless. Nobody would care.

**KYO:** And I wouldn’t be able to do any of that without you keeping everything in line!

**SHUJI:** I’m super jealous of you two. I wish I had a best friend like that.

_ I feel a twinge, somewhere deep in my chest, but it’s not the kind of thing I can understand so I ignore it. There’s no hospital here anyway, so I probably won’t die. _

**KYO:** I can’t say the circumstances are ideal, but I’m sure you’ll make really good friends here if you keep going the way you’re going.

**YUI:** You can count us among your friends, even if we haven’t changed your life quite yet, as well.

_ I’m genuinely taken aback. This is way nicer than I would’ve expected from anyone, especially given that I’ve only known the duo for a few days. And all of those days were in a murder mystery mansion where we’ve been told to kill each other for money. _

_ I think of all the people I’ve met since waking up on the floor of the foyer, and I think of my relationship with all of them. All in all, for such an off the wall environment, I’ve made some serious forays into friendship in the short time I’ve known them. _

_ I smile back at Yui and Kyo, hoping they can’t see the tears threatening to form in my eyes. _

_ Not sure what to say to convey how grateful I am to have people like them considering themselves my friends, I open my mouth to try to say something stupid about it anyway. _

_ Before I can say anything heartwarming or really dumb (either would have been acceptable, I think), Bo comes tottering into the room. _

_ They look ashy and pale, from what I can see of their face, and hesitate for a long while before saying anything. Yui, Kyo and I stay silent, letting them speak their peace rather than interrupting whatever process they seem to be going through. _

**BO:** Can you...please...come with me?

_ This isn’t like them at all. There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach, and it feels like the whole world loses focus a bit. I refuse to acknowledge it. I refuse to say what I’m thinking. I nod mutely and follow them. _

**KYO:** Is, um, everything okay?

**BO:** I didn’t...I don’t…

_ They shake their head. Whatever the problem is, it doesn’t seem like they’re in a place to articulate it. _

_ Bo leads us all to the sitting room, and any optimistic guesses as to what might have been going on drop like a lead curtain. _

**???:** Bing bong! A body has been discovered!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0 I wonder whose body got discovered! Just kidding I already have the trial and execution written. But I wanna hear your guesses!
> 
> This chapter kinda gave me an opportunity to give Masanori (a fucker) time to interact with Shuji and Roxxy (non-fuckers) to see if he could prove himself to be almost-likable. I don't know if he's likable or not, honestly. But I'd like to hear what you think!


	9. Chapter One: Persistence (Investigation)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bing Bong! A body has been discovered!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is where things get a little more game-like than previously! Because this is originally scripted to be a visual novel, and although VNs are not the most interactive game genre, I would like some interactability for the audience. That means the investigation!
> 
> I slimmed down some of the game elements for ease of reading, but I think some of the game elements actually made things easier to keep track of. I hope it's not confusing!
> 
> Another note!!! I have a discord server for talking about Cornucopia of Hope! If you'd like to join, click this link! https://discord.gg/wkNfNKd

//Alena Agyros’s body lies on the floor of the sitting room. Her head and face are burnt very badly, and part of her head is very clearly caved in. Her face is turned to face the viewer. Her legs are arms are splayed awkwardly but her legs are oddly rigid and straight.

_In stories, there’s a handful of ways people respond to seeing a corpse. People faint, or scream, or rage at the unfairness of it all. People react logically, and get down to business to solve the murder. There’s always something. A reaction, a response._

_I just feel cold._

_When Bo first approached us, something in me told me that a murder had happened and the world had felt slightly out of focus. I hadn’t wanted to believe it._

_Seeing it now, undeniable, the world got its focus back. It’s like it’s too focused. People when they first get glasses always talk about how they didn’t know people could make out individual leaves on trees. It’s like that. Alena’s corpse is the leaves on the trees._

_I guess I never wanted to see the leaves, anyway. I was okay with the world being a little out of focus._

_Yui is in shock, perhaps worse than I am. She fumblingly gets to her knees next to Alena’s body and touches her wrist._

**YUI:** There’s no pulse.

 **KYO:** Is that...Alena…?

_I look at the body a little closer. I suppose it’s hard to tell, with her face so badly burnt. But it seems silly to think it would be someone else. Her sense of style and body proportions are distinct._

_Is...silly the appropriate thing to call it? I feel distant from the room and the people in it._

//More people arrive: PV, Isei, Roxxy, and Noriko are notable.

 **PV:** I can’t believe it really happened.

 **ISEI:** Oh, fuck…

 **ROXXY:** I’m gonna puke…

 **NORIKO:** I didn’t protect her. I’m so sorry.

 **ROXXY:** What do we do?

 _A moment of silence falls after Roxxy’s question. What_ do _we do? What did it say in the rules?_

**A guest may take their leave of Our Mansion of Plenty if they kill one of their fellow guests. In order to take their leave, they must not be found out by their peers.**

**SHUJI:** Um...does anyone know who...did it…?

_The question feels like molasses from my lips._

**BO:** Was it The Fey?

 **PV:** It doesn’t seem like that monster to do all this. It...I don’t know. It exploded. It didn’t throw someone in a fireplace.

 **ROXXY:** Whoever it was is about to taste my foot! In a kicking way! Not like--whatever! I’m gonna fight ‘em!

 **NORIKO:** They deserve punishment, to be sure.

 **SHUJI:** If nobody knows...does it mean they got out? They left? In the rules it says they have to get away with it. And nobody knows.

_That stops everyone in their tracks, for sure._

_Before anyone can respond, a scream rings out through the mansion._

**ISEI:** Another one?!

_Everyone in the room sprints off to the direction of the scream, hoping to prevent another murder I imagine. I stay behind, looking down at Alena._

_Though, it’s not Alena anymore, is it? Not if you believe in souls. I read a book one, I think was originally French, that said that the body is just a shell. There’s nothing sad about old shells. I squat next to her, and touch her hand. It’s cold._

_I don’t know what I expected._

_I whisper an apology to her, hoping that...whatever is left of her, if it’s a soul or anything else, can hear me. I told her I’d protect her._

_I walk to the kitchen, where almost everyone else has congregated. I push past the crowd numbly to see what everyone is looking at._

//The kitchen is a mess. The knife block has been knocked over, drawers have been ripped out with their contents scattered. Masanori is sitting in the middle of it all, looking worse for wear. He has scratches across his face, for starters.

 **SHUJI:** What happened?

 **MASANORI:** That bitch! That pretty boy asshole! He--he--[About to burst into tears.]

 **HEIJI:** Hey, calm down. Who are you talking about?

 **MASANORI:** Kata Ama! He attacked me and ran!

 **YUI:** When, exactly, did this happen?

 **MASANORI:** I--I’m not sure. He hit me over the head with something, I guess he thought I was dead. I just woke up.

 **KYO:** So...did Ama-san kill Alena-chan? Did we solve it? Are we done?

 **THE FEY:** You’d like that, wouldn’t you?

 **KYO:** Not really, no.

 **ISEI:** Hey, fuck off, will you? Give us an opportunity to mourn.

 **THE FEY:** Oh boo hoo. You haven’t solved shit yet. Even if you had, this isn’t the way things are done! There’s a method to this madness, hee hee!

 **MIKI:** Madness is right…

 **THE FEY:** Someone among you killed poor Creepy-chan. She died knowing that all of you failed to protect her. She probably hated you in her final moments. But what can you do? It’s time to find her killer. You have an hour until the trial.

 **YUI:** What? Trial?

 **ISEI:** What do you mean by trial?

 **THE FEY:** It sounds like someone should have paid attention in school! You’ll find out, won’t you? Be satisfied with that. If you’re not too busy flailing at each other in your special form of idiocy, you might want to check your tablets. The clock’s already ticking, losers.

//The Fey exits.

!! INVESTIGATION: START !!

_Except...nobody knows where to start._

**PV:** Hey! Everybody! I have an idea.

 **MASANORI** : Oh, the genius behind vaporwave is suddenly a fucking detective.

 **PV:** That thing said there’s method to the madness. It gave me an idea for structure. None of us have done this before, so we might as well...Try, okay?

 **HEIJI:** Don’t we already know who did it? It was Ama-san, right?

 **PV:** We only have an hour! Let’s not waste it! We need to get people to guard to body to make sure nobody tampers with it. We shouldn’t have left it alone as long as we did. Noro-san, can I trust you?

 **NORIKO:** Of course.

 **MIKI:** How do we know she didn’t kill Creepy-san?

 **ROXXY:** I’ll guard her too. I’m not good with puzzle games anyway.

 **PV:** Okay, that’s settled. Everyone else should split into groups and investigate every room. We don’t know where evidence might be hidden.

 **AIKA:** Isn’t Saji-san going to come in and ask the killer to confess right out?

 **SHUJI:** …

 **PV:** Not really the time for jokes, Akiyama. Agyros was his friend. Either way, let’s split up.

_I silently follow Roxxy and Noriko back to the sitting room. I still feel numb, somehow, but I figure there’s always time to deal with that later. Right now, I have work to do. I have to do what I can to...avenge her? I guess. It sounds silly, even just thinking it, but I’ll do what I can regardless._

_Alena is where we left her. I guess nobody had time between the attack on Masanori and The Fey’s announcement to come back here and mess with the crime scene somehow._

_Where should I start?_

[Roxxy and Noriko] / [Alena’s Body] / [Fireplace] / [Sitting Room Seating]

**[SELECT: Roxxy and Noriko]**

**ROXXY:** Are you okay?

 **SHUJI:** _[Smiling weakly]_ I’m alright. I mean, no, I’m really not, but...I’m functioning.

 **NORIKO:** She thought of you as her friend. I’m sorry to the both of you that I failed to protect her.

 **SHUJI:** Haha, oh, um, it’s okay. Do you mind if I take a look around?

 **NORIKO:** Of course, go ahead.

[Alena’s Body] / [Fireplace] / [Sitting Room Seating]

**[SELECT: Alena’s Body]**

_I kneel down to get a look at her. In stories there’s always some crucial clue in the autopsy. Scully does some stuff with a knife and proves that it’s the bash-head-in-alien at it again, and Mulder is satisfied. But...what do you do with a corpse?_

_I can hardly make out her face, it’s burnt so badly. At least her eyes are closed. The side of her head has been bashed in. If I looked, I could probably see skull and brain. I don’t look. Instead, I look at her arms and legs._

_On her right arm, there’s a peculiar set of bruises. Under normal circumstances, I’d say that they look like finger marks, as if she’d been grabbed. Gingerly, I pick up her arm to look closer. There’s only 4 lines, including one that could be a thumb._

_I don’t know what to make of it, but it seems important._

[EVIDENCE GET: Alena’s Bruises]

_Click!_

_I look behind me to see Roxxy with her phone out, taking pictures of Alena’s body._

**SHUJI:** What are you doing?

 **ROXXY:** I’m not gonna be much use investigating, but...I don’t know. It’s easy to forget details. I’m taking pics so nobody forgets for the trial thing.

 **NORIKO:** That’s actually quite smart! I have shamefully let my own phone die in my room. I didn’t think I had use for it here.

 **ROXXY:** I play solitaire on it when I’m bored. You don’t need signal for that.

[Fireplace] / [Sitting Room Seating]

**[SELECT: Fireplace]**

_Instead, I glance up toward the fireplace, which is still burning. There’s a trail of soot from it to Alena. The wood is definitely not positioned how it was earlier, when I lit it this morning, and the fire is threatening to gutter out because of it. It lacks proper air flow, or something. I’m no fire genius. Regardless, it looks like someone’s tampered with it somehow._

_It seems like there’s a crumpled piece of paper, mostly burnt, in the fireplace itself. I use the fire poker to get it out of the fireplace without hurting myself, but it’s blackened to the point of being illegible. I leave it by the fireplace for other people to look at, if they want to._

[EVIDENCE GET! State of the Fireplace]

[EVIDENCE GET! Burnt Note]

[Sitting Room Seating]

[SELECT]

_The room itself seems pretty normal. If I covered the bottom half of the vision, I could pretend nothing had happened._

_Wait, that’s not quite right. The chairs and sofa are out of place, pushed back further than they typically are in this room. Either someone picked a weird time to do some interior decorating, or it’s related, right?_

[EVIDENCE GET: Evidence of a Fight?]

_I stand there, looking like an idiot, chewing on my fingernails because I don’t know what to do. More people enter the room, looking for evidence I guess._

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I don’t know where to go from here at all…

 **ISEI:** Did you look at your tablet?

 **SHUJI:** My...no, I didn’t. Isn’t it just the map and the rules?

 **ISEI:** Not anymore. Might be worth looking at.

_Feeling like a total dipshit, I take the tablet out of my back pocket and give it a gander. Sure enough, there’s a new tab._

 

 

> FEY FILE #01
> 
> VICTIM: Alena Agyros
> 
> TIME OF DEATH: 12:45 PM
> 
> TIME OF DISCOVERY: 12:55 PM
> 
> SITE OF DISCOVERY: First Floor Sitting Room
> 
> CAUSE OF DEATH: Head Trauma

**SHUJI:** I guess that solves one mystery.

[EVIDENCE GET: Fey File #01]

 **ISEI:** I was wondering about the cause of death, myself, so that’s...I mean, it’s not _nice_ to have it cleared up. But it’s something.

 **SHUJI:** Yeah…

 **ISEI:** How are you holding up, man?

 **SHUJI:** Oh you know. How are you?

 **ISEI:** _[Faintly concerned.]_ ...I’m alright. Did you check out the body?

_I nod._

**ISEI:** Have you noticed if anyone here has a missing finger? I’d bet it’s a pinky that’s gone, if that helps.

_A missing finger? I try to think back to all my fellow captives’ hands but...I’m drawing a blank. Some people like to keep their hands in their pockets, like Kyo. A few of us wear gloves, like Alena, which I suppose could hide that sort of thing._

_Ultimately, I shake my head._

**SHUJI:** I don’t remember.

 **ISEI:** That’s alright. What do you think of that note?

 **SHUJI:** Could you make out any words?

_Isei shakes his head and looks thoughtful. Eventually he shrugs._

**ISEI:** You should probably talk to Nishimuraya-san. He’s pretty shaken up about the attack, but he might know something useful. You’re better at people than I am, anyway.

_I nod and do as he says. Right now, I’m more than happy to have a helping hand. On my way to the kitchen, where Masanori seems to have set up camp rather than coming anywhere near a corpse, I run into Kata._

_Didn’t...Masanori say Kata attacked him? I feel like I should follow up on that._

**SHUJI:** Hey.

 **KATA:** What the hell do you want? Are you here to accuse me of murder, too? As if I’d go anywhere near that dick.

 **SHUJI:** Can...um, where were you when he says you attacked him?

 **KATA:** In my room.

 **SHUJI:** That’s not what I’d call a solid alibi.

 **KATA:** I don’t need one, since I didn’t goddamn do it.

_This is the most agitated I’ve ever seen him._

**SHUJI:** I didn’t say you did, I’m just letting you know that people aren’t going to believe you.

 **KATA:** Oh, thanks for your insight.

 **SHUJI:** You’re welcome.

 **KATA:** I was being sarcastic.

[EVIDENCE GET: Kata’s Testimony]

_I continue on my way to the kitchen, stopping in the dining room when I see Masanori and Heiji. Masanori is sitting down, arms crossed like a pouty child, while Heiji tries to tend to the scratches on his face with a damp washcloth._

_I could continue on my way to the kitchen to see if there’s any evidence in there, or I could touch base with Masanori as Isei had suggested._

[Kitchen] / [Heiji and Masanori]

**[SELECT: Heiji and Masanori]**

**MASANORI:** Ow! Ow! Be gentle you ape!

 **HEIJI:** Sorry, I couldn’t find a proper first aid kit.

 **SHUJI:** Hey guys. Those scratches look nasty.

 **MASANORI:** I’m gonna get gangrene or something and die because that stupid pretty-boy attacked me. I’m gonna _die_.

_He actually looks like he’s on the verge of tears. I guess getting attacked got him pretty scared._

**SHUJI:** You’re not gonna die, it’s okay. They don't even look like they bled. Can you tell me what happened? Why weren’t you with the supply closet group?

 **HEIJI:** I can answer that part. This guy here got into a shouting match with Fumi. He said something rude, I don’t know, I kinda tune a lot of it out, and Sis was sick of it. She yelled at him to stop acting like a kid, and how Hisato is better behaved than he is--

 **SHUJI:** I’m sorry, Hisato? Who is that?

 **HEIJI:** Oh, my nephew. Fumi’s son. He’s two. Or...since we’re missing time...uh, five? Probably? Shit, I hope I didn’t miss his birthday…

 **MASANORI:** So I left, because I didn’t wanna be harassed by a fucking teen mom like that. Like, who is she to judge _my_ life choices if she went and had a kid as a kid herself?

 **HEIJI:** _[Small frown.]_ …

 **MASANORI:** Ouch! Hey! Go easy on me!

 **HEIJI:** Maybe don’t talk about my sister like that when I’m the only thing standin’ between you and gangrene, huh?

 **SHUJI:** So you went to the kitchen?

 **MASANORI:** We never ate dinner, so I went back to get food. I was looking through the cabinets and stuff when Ama came from behind me and attacked me. I fought back, because I’m not about to fucking die in here, but he’s stronger than he looks. He managed to scratch my face and knock me out. I guess he thought I was dead.

 **SHUJI:** And then you think he ran off and killed Alena-chan, as well?

 **MASANORI:** She’s really dead? Are you sure she’s not just knocked out, like I was?

_I look away, and my eyes unfocus for a bit. I don’t want to tell him about the state of the body. I don’t want to think about it. Nausea rises in my throat, but I suppress it, and when I look back up to Masanori, my vision has cleared._

**MASANORI:** That bad, huh? Listen dude, she was a shrieking banshee last time I spoke to her, and before that it was like talking to a dead fish, but...You were her friend, I guess. I’m...sorry? For your loss?

 **HEIJI:** Dude, I don’t know if there’s classes in how to console someone, but you need to take ‘em.

 **MASANORI:** As if I’d take advice from you! Ow! Jesus Fucking Christ okay, I’m sorry.

[EVIDENCE GET! Masanori’s Testimony]

_From there, I head to the Kitchen._

[Kitchen Floor] / [Kitchen Trash] / [Kitchen Cabinets]

**[SELECT: Kitchen Floor]**

_The kitchen floor is a graveyard where messes have gone to die. Cutlery, food, napkins… It’s like a tornado came through here, and then threw a bunch of plates on the floor for good measure._

_Some calm, rational voice in my head is worried that I’ll have to do all these dishes. There’s broken plates and glasses all over the place, so I hope nobody tries to go in here without at least slippers on. It’s dangerous._

_I sift through the detritus to see if there’s anything notable, though my mind keeps drifting to wondering what I would do if I cut my hand on the glass. Maybe Masanori’s gangrene talk got to me. Maybe I’m trying to think about anything other than Alena’s body in the sitting room._

_Fortunately, I don’t have to look long. Tucked away under a ramen bowl is a wooden rolling pin that I’d seen before, but hadn’t had opportunity to use yet._

_I would have made cookies._

_I bet Alena would have liked to help with that._

_The rolling pin has blood on it. A lot of blood._

_I guess I’d call that notable._

[EVIDENCE GET! Bloody Rolling Pin]

_Not knowing what to do with it, I put it back where I found it._

**[SELECT: Kitchen Trash]**

_I’m not exactly the biggest reader of mystery novels, but I feel like it’s common knowledge that there’s always evidence in the trash can. With the room such a mess, maybe someone thought they could hide something in there and have it go unnoticed._

_I check the trash._

_It’s actually completely empty; it looks like it fell over during...uh...whatever happened to the kitchen. It’s contents are splayed on the ground, in with everything else. Other than the charred remains of what I think was meant to be toast, there’s nothing notable in here._

_Charred...remains…_

_I have to keep moving._

**[SELECT: Kitchen Cabinets]**

_The cabinets were a clear victim in uhh...a fight? Whatever happened in here. Several of them seem to have been knocked open, their contents sent crashing to the floor, though a few are still intact._

_I open and close each of them dutifully, my eyes almost glazing over. I don’t know what to look for._

_I’d guess that anything relevant to Masanori’s fight with Kata has already been knocked to the floor, but who knows, right?_

_I certainly don’t._

_I don’t find anything in there._

_I leave the kitchen, fighting the urge to wash my hands after touching the rolling pin--it would be weird to wash your hands in a crime scene, right? I’m pretty sure that’s right--and find myself standing in the hallway outside of the kitchen._

_Pure Virtual said something about checking every room, but there aren’t a lot of rooms to check. I’m pretty sure the laundry room has nothing to do with any of it, since I was there when the murder happened, so I head to the foyer instead._

[Plants] / [Katherine and Miki] / [Front Door]

**[SELECT: Plants]**

_I don’t know exactly what draws me to the plants. There’s no way they’re connected to the murder, right? But...Alena liked them, and she’s dead now. I walk over and touch one of the leaves, the way she always did when she wanted to avoid eye contact--but I spot something in the dirt._

**SHUJI:** Hm?

_I find a...coin? I pick at it for a moment, expecting it to come apart to reveal a chocolate. It looks like obnoxiously fuschia tinfoil wrapped around plastic, but it won’t come undone. Squinting at it, I see there’s a chibi depiction of The Fey on one side, and the words “Premium Feynance!” printed on the other. Feynance? Like finance?_

_Tacky._

[EVIDENCE GET? Fey Coin]

**[SELECT: Katherine and Miki]**

**KATHERINE:** I’m surprised you’ve been to America. Did you like it there at all?

 **MIKI:** I didn’t get to see the sights or anything, I was just there for a competition. But the airplane ride was surprisingly fun.

_They don’t seem to be talking about anything too important...I guess I should talk to them about the case._

**SHUJI:** Hey. Have you two been doing any investigating?

 **MIKI:** I didn’t do it.

 **SHUJI:** Didn’t investigate?

 **MIKI:** I didn’t kill Creepy-san.

 **SHUJI:** Oh that’s not really what I was--

 **MIKI:** I didn’t attack Nishimuraya, either!

 **SHUJI:** ...right.

 **KATHERINE:** ...they were with me the whole time. I can vouch for them.

 **MIKI:** I’m innocent!

 **KATHERINE:** We’ve just been staying out of everyone’s way.

 **SHUJI:** Um. Cool. I’ll talk to you later I guess.

[SELECT: Front Door.]

_Now that I’ve looked at everything else interesting in the room, I find myself walking toward the front door. Is it too late to see if it’s unlocked? I can feel Katherine and Miki watching me, and despite everything, I feel the hairs rise on the back of my neck in embarrassment. I hope they don’t make fun of me._

_I try the door handle and…_

_What?_

_With a click, it opens._

_My body moving before my brain can react, I swing the door open to reveal--_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO chapters ending in cliff hangers??? What am I, some kind of amateur??? Yes. Yes I am actually.
> 
> Anyway! Who did it? Are they just gonna walk out of that door to freedom? Is the game over already? Discuss!
> 
> If you want a place to discuss other than the comments section (which, don't be shy about...I eat comments...they're my only source of nutrition...) feel free to join the discord server I've set up! https://discord.gg/wkNfNKd


	10. Chapter One: Persistence (Trial Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Hell! Er, I mean, the trial! Everyone is pretty convinced they know who did it, but are they right?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I've got carpal tunnel, but fortunately there's a reasonably sized backlog of chapters so I can keep updating fairly consistently while I recover! This is my first time writing a trial, and I went back and wrote and re-wrote it like 50 times so I hope you enjoy it!

**THE FEY:** Hey! Did I give you permission to find that already?!

**SHUJI:** I--huh? What?

_ The Fey hovers ominously right beyond the now open door. Behind them is a stretch of tunnel, rather than what I had presumed would be our freedom. There’s a vague sinking feeling in my stomach once the surprise is gone, but otherwise I can’t seem to muster a proper reaction. _

**THE FEY:** Nosy jerk, openin’ doors and ruinin’ my dramatic entrances. This is twice now, I’ll have you know, that you personally have ruined my entrance! I should add that to the rules...No fucking up The Fey’s drama…

**SHUJI:** I’m...sorry?

**MIKI:** Don’t be. Fuck over its entrances as much as you can.

**KATHERINE:** Fuck it up so bad that they don’t come around anymore, more like…

**THE FEY:** Anyway, your time is up!

_ There’s an electronic squeal as they turn on the PA system and begin speaking into their headset. _

**THE FEY:** Hey, dead kids walking! You’d better get to the foyer ASAP! It’s time for one of you to meet your maker, and the rest of you to deal out some sweet, sweet vengeance!

**ISEI:** Not justice?

_ I hadn’t noticed him enter, but he’s standing at the threshold between the foyer and the hallway leading to the dining room. _

**THE FEY:** Justice? I don’t know her.

_ Everyone else gathers, appearing in groups of twos and threes, and The Fey beckons us to follow her through the front door and into the tunnel. Some people express shock at the fact that the front door is open, others express frustration and disappointment that it’s just another of The Fey’s tricks. Most of us are just quiet. _

_ The tunnel isn’t as long as I’d initially assumed; it takes us less than five minutes to cross from the front door into another furnished area.  _

_ We seem to be in some kind of lobby. A tiled floor, some generic art of landscapes on the walls, and two respectable looking wooden doors. There are a few chairs along the walls, with a potted plant between each door, and a rack of magazines. It looks like a waiting room more than anything else. The door to the right has a small chain crossing it, apparently forbidding us from entering, while the other is already cracked open. _

_ The Fey leads us to the open door, revealing… _

**THE FEY:** Do you like it? My courtroom? I had it made special for all of you!

**KATHERINE:** ...tacky.

**THE FEY:** Would it kill you to be grateful for once?! I work my ass off...tch, whatever, take a seat.

_ I’ve never seen the interior of a real courtroom, but this doesn’t match anything I’ve seen on TV. It’s a circle of overstuffed chairs, all facing each other, in suffocatingly decorated room. There are brightly colored thick plush curtains on every wall, a deep red shag carpet, and a jewel encrusted throne on a pedestal set into an alcove in the back of the room. _

_ Surprising absolutely nobody, The Fey takes a seat on the throne. _

**THE FEY:** Your names are on each of your chairs. Find your seat or I’ll lose my goddamn temper.

_ Before I enter the room, Isei tugs on my sleeve. He looks pale and sweaty all of a sudden.  _

**ISEI:** You have to help me.

**SHUJI:** Please don’t tell me you killed her.

**ISEI:** What? No. I didn’t. I think I’ve figured out who killed her, even. But…

_ Sweating visibly, he looks at the large group of people now taking their seats. He looks like he’s about to cry. _

**SHUJI:** Your thing about talking in front of crowds?

**ISEI:** I’ll...I’ll try, but you’ve gotta back me up in there or I’ll choke.

_ I think about it for a moment, but I nod. If he turns out to be the killer (he couldn’t be, right?) I’ll find out in the trial. If not, he’ll probably be really helpful. _

_ I head to my seat, which has my name inscribed upon the back. Fortunately, Isei is seated nearby, so he might be able to help me out if I get stuck. Despite myself, I look around to see where Alena’s chair might be. _

_ Rather than respectfully leaving it empty, The Fey seems to have placed a house plant on the chair. It has large googly eyes glued to it. _

_ I feel like I’m gonna puke. _

**FUMI:** Um...so, what do we do?

**KYO:** I guess we try to figure out who did it?

**MIKI:** Is anyone gonna address the plant-shaped elephant in the room? What the fuck is up with that?

**THE FEY:** Attendance is mandatory! I couldn’t leave poor Creepy-chan out, now could I? How do you like it? I’m basically a genius at arts and crafts. I think I really evoked her spirit with the googly eyes.

**SHUJI:** Er...Let’s...get to the trial...

**PV:** Are there rules? None of us here is exactly the SHSL Lawyer.

**THE FEY:** Of course there are rules! This isn’t a madhouse! You guys will all argue at each other until a conclusion is reached or I get bored! Then you’ll vote for the killer! Easy peasy.

**LANI:** That’s...it?

**MASANORI:** I don’t know what I fucking expected. We just tear each other’s throat out for the goddamn delight of the fucking….Rrrgh…

**HEIJI:** Hey dude, you’ve got a head injury! Don’t overwork yourself.

**KATA:** Does he, though? Do we have any proof?

**ROXXY:** Um, he was obviously attacked. Look at his face!

**MIKI:** He’s always ugly, what’s new?

**ROXXY:** Don’t be a jerk! He’s all scratched up!

**KATA:** Maybe he scratched his own face to frame me. He’s always had it out for me.

**AIKA:** To what purpose? He didn’t know Agyros-san had yet died.

**KATA:** Maybe he wanted me tied to a chair like Dan-san so he didn’t have to deal with me! Speaking of which…

**MIKI:** I didn’t do it!

**MASANORI:** You’re clearly deflecting. Can we vote for him already? He’s a dickhead in addition to a murderer.

**NORIKO:** Even if we can prove he attacked you, it doesn’t mean he attacked Agyros-san. Why should he feel the need to try to take two people’s lives?

**YUI:** Why, for that matter, should he feel the need to take anyone’s life at all? We have no evidence that Ama-san has ever had violent urges. I believe all of us know who among us is most likely to kill someone by means of head trauma.

_ She aims a pointed look at Miki. _

**MIKI:** Oh, I resent that! I didn’t fucking do it! Ueda-san was with me the whole time!

**FUMI:** What was it you accused Agyros-chan and Saji-kun of being? Cahoots?

**SHUJI:** Hey! Shut up, everyone, for ten seconds! If we could stop slinging accusations at each other and try to... _ think _ about this? We might actually get somewhere.

**PV:** I agree. Let’s take things one step at a time. We can get to accusations later.

**MASANORI:** Oh, the french fuck thinks they can tell us what to do? Why bother? We know who did it!

**PV:** Fine. Who did it?

**MASANORI, ROXXY, HEIJI,** and **LANI:** _[Simultaneously]_ Kata Ama!

**KATA, FUMI, NORIKO,** and  **YUI:** _ [Simultaneously]  _ Miki Dan!

**PV:** It sounds like you all have quite the consensus. Now, if there’s no objections, let’s discuss this rationally.

**AIKA:** Assuming there’s anything rational about murder…

**PV** : Let’s start with the murder itself, and we can determine from there if the attack on Nishimuraya-san is relevant.

**NORIKO:** And, more to the point, if it ever even happened.

**PV:** Stay on topic, please. Do we know how Agyros-san was killed?

**BO:** The fire, wasn’t it? Someone pushed her in and she got all burnt up.

**ROXXY:** If I got pushed into a fire, I’d just, get out. Wouldn’t you?

**NORIKO:** Perhaps someone held her down, forcing her to stay in the fire until she...um...

_ That doesn’t sound right… _

**LANI:** Alena-chan was super strong!

**MASANORI:** Since when are gardeners buff? That makes no sense.

**LANI:** It’s true! She got swole from carrying bags of fertilizer all over the place! Plus picking up her siblings…[Frown.] Someone needs to tell them…

**KATHERINE:** It would need to be someone physically fit, then.

**HEIJI:** That rules Dan-san right out!

_ Something about this still seems wrong, but I’m not sure. _

_ I glance over at Isei, who is biting his lip nervously and trying to give me a significant look. When I furrow my brow in confusion, he merely takes out his tablet and looks at it, then at me again. I think I get it. _

**SHUJI:** I don’t think that adds up.

**MIKI:** Oh, you’re gonna accuse me now?!

**SHUJI:** No, I mean. Alena-chan wasn’t killed by the fire. The Fey File listed the cause of death as head trauma, not burns or suffocation or anything that being held in a fire would cause.

**BO:** Oh...I didn’t look at it...I’m not great at reading Japanese.

**PV:** Wait. That cause of death doesn’t necessarily mean that she wasn’t held in the fire!

**ROXXY:** Yeah, what if the killer like, had a knee on her back and held her down in there and then went all whack-a-mole on her?

**AIKA:** Wow, that was morbid. Hot.

**ROXXY:** Oh, please.

**PV:** That would still require someone with some manner of strength, no?

_ My brain isn’t working as fast as I want it to. Everyone is talking so fast. But something here is wrong...I need to get a word in edgewise… _

**ISEI:** Are you dense?

_ This is the first thing he’s said since we got started. His voice is startlingly calm, the accusatory words lacking any tone of anger or derision. I look at him closely, and I definitely see tears in his eyes. Is he...so nervous he’s actually crying? _

_ In other circumstances it would be cute. _

_ He looks at me imploringly now that everybody has focused their attention on him. _

_ I must have something that can counter the argument Pure Virtual was making… _

**SHUJI:** Wait, I’ve got it!

_ Everyone’s attention swivels back to me. _

**SHUJI:** Moreau-san, did you touch Alena-chan’s body at all before you got us?

**BO:** Huh? No! I couldn’t! Human bodies are crawling with diseases and I, as an alien, would be particularly--erk--I’m scared of corpses.

**SHUJI:** So she had to have gotten out of the fireplace somehow, right?

**LANI:** If she fought back, then maybe she got out herself! And then came the whack-a-mole that Roxxy-chan talked about.

**SHUJI:** I don’t think that’s it. The position of her arms and legs, plus the soot marks between her and the fireplace makes me think she was dragged.

**PV:** If she wasn’t held down, why didn’t she get up?

**AIKA:** I’d hate to be uncharacteristically helpful, but pain often makes people pass out if it’s bad enough. I’d say third degree burns to the face would qualify.

**FUMI:** I hate that you know that so much.

**MIKI:** So Ama attacked her, got her into the fireplace somehow, dragged her out after she passed out, and bludgeoned her?

**KATA:** Nice name drop there, you pest.

**LANI:** How did they get her in the fire, anyway?

**BO:** Sneak attack! 

**KYO:** Elaborate on that one for me, please?

**BO:** Push her in when she’s not looking and then after she passes out, take the opportunity for murder!

_ Is that it? _

**SHUJI:** I’m not sure…

**YUI:** Do you have evidence to the contrary?

**SHUJI:** Well…

_ Do I? _

**SHUJI:** Yes, I think I do. The sitting room chairs--they were all pushed around, weren’t they?

**PV:** _[nodding]_ I noticed that as well.

**SHUJI:** It looks like there was a fight. Unless the murderer decided to redecorate the sitting room in preparation for Alena-chan showing up which doesn’t seem, um, likely.

**AIKA:** You’re assuming this was premeditated at all, in that case. How do we know this wasn’t simply a crime of passion and opportunity?

**HEIJI:** Hey, Nishimuraya-san. When Ama attacked you, was he there waiting for you in the kitchen or were you there and he just went hog wild after he got there?

**MASANORI:** Um. Hog wild?

**KATA:** Yeah, liar. Why don’t you tell them about how I “attacked” you. Dig your fucking grave you goddamn liar.

**MASANORI:** Oh, fuck off murderer! I was already in the kitchen, trying to find some food, when he came in and attacked me.

**ISEI:** Hmm…

**FUMI:** That supports the crime of passion theory…

**KATA:** It only supports that theory if  _ I’m _ the killer!

**NORIKO:** So what do you think happened?

**KATA:** _ [Surprised.]  _ Oh! Okay. Let me think…

**MASANORI:** This should be rich.

**NORIKO:** Shush!

**KATA:** Maybe there wasn’t a struggle at all. The placement of the furniture doesn’t mean a lot, it could just mean that the killer expected a struggle. He lies in wait for whoever to come through on their own, and it happens to be Agyros. Before she can even react, he tries to attack her. She’s surprised, so she falls backward, and ends up in the fire. Then he drags her out to finish the job.

_ Something here seems wrong… _

**LANI:** Oh! I’ve got it! Ama-san is right, there’s no way it was random! There was a burnt up note in the fireplace! The killer probably lured her out with a note and then burnt it as evidence!

**SHUJI:** You think so?

**YUI:** That would be a good clue, if we could figure out who wrote the note…

**ROXXY:** Um...uh...

**FUMI:** Do you have something to say, Roxxy-chan?

**ROXXY:** I, uh, wrote the note…

**MIKI:** No way! Roxxy-san is the killer?!

**ROXXY:** No! I didn’t! I was practicing, um, writing. Writing letters. But that one was bad so I threw it into the fire.

**AIKA:** As if that’s not incredibly suspicious…

**ROXXY:** It’s true!

**SHUJI:** I can back her up. Nishimuraya-san and I all talked to Roxxy-chan about writing love no--er, normal notes. Notes for normal, non-murder reasons.

**FUMI:** _[Blushing.]_ Really?

**ROXXY:** So we can rule that out!

_ So that piece of “evidence” got us nowhere. Everyone is quiet for a moment as we try to figure out how to progress. _

**PV:** I think you’re all missing something pretty important.

**MIKI:** Who died and made you our leader? Stop trying to steer this! For all we know, you killed her!

**ROXXY:** Sounds like something someone trying to deflect blame would say, right?

**KATHERINE:** _[Dramatically Pissed]_ They didn’t do it! How many times do we have to tell you?!

**MASANORI:** Jesus, who taught the wooden doll how to be a real girl? Since when does Madam Monotone have outbursts?

**KATHERINE:** You shut the fuck up! You dare? You dare to even speak to me?! I wish you would  _ die! _

**LANI:** Whoa, maybe take it down a few notches…

**MASANORI:** Apparently she’s either 0 or 100, no in-between. Sounds like  _ someone _ needs therapy...

**FUMI:** Can you stop insulting people? Why is it so important for you to belittle everyone? You’re not better than us!

**MASANORI:** I never said I was, you bitch! You’re all thinking you’re better than me, though! You with your cutesy mothering, Noro with her hamfisted attempts at justice, Suzuki with her rules, and now Pure Virtual attempting to be Boss Baby in a fucking murder trial?

**ISEI:** Could we...focus…?

_ This time, his comment goes entirely unnoticed due to the chaos in the courtroom. _

**ROXXY:** How dare you talk to Fumi-chan like that! I’m in your corner, Masa-chan! Don’t ruin it!

**NORIKO:** Suzuki-san’s rules are to keep aggressive idiots like you  _ safe _ , how can you not see that?!

**LANI:** HEY! Shut UP everyone!

_ There’s some muttering before everyone truly shuts up, but Lani’s outburst managed to settle things somewhat. I sigh in relief; I had no idea how to derail things from the way they were going. _

**LANI:** _ [Takes a deep breath.]  _ Okay. Listen. Do we even know what the murder weapon is?

**ROXXY:** I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume it’s not one of these pink coins I found? Does anyone even know if this is related? I’m like, lost.

**MASANORI:** I found one too, in the kitchen.

**BO:** So it’s related?

**THE FEY:** No, you little idiots. Those have been around since you first got here! You’re just unobservant.

**KYO:** Are they for the gacha machine in that closet?

**THE FEY:** I’ve said enough! Get back to work!

**LANI:** The murder weapon! Please!

**HEIJI:** I assumed it was like, a lamp or something. Not a lot of whacky weapons in here. Haha...whacky...wacky….

**PV:** I didn’t see any ceramic or anything around the crime scene, though…

**HEIJI:** Oh yeah? I didn’t get a chance to look.

**MIKI:** You didn’t even LOOK?!

**HEIJI:** Did you?

**MIKI:** I...no...but!

_ I think I have something. _

**BO:** If you didn’t even look, how are you gonna get mad at other people for doing the same thing?

**SHUJI:** Hold up. The murder weapon. It would probably have blood on it, right?

**AIKA:** Snrk. Yeah, genius, the murder weapon would have some blood on it.

**SHUJI:** Then I think the murder weapon was a rolling pin I found in the kitchen.

_ Everyone grinds to a stop. I guess since I’ve been so zoned out nobody expected me to find something useful. _

**YUI:** You found a bloody rolling pin in the kitchen?

**FUMI:** That’s not necessarily the murder weapon, though! What if it’s just what Ama-san used to attack Nishimuraya-san?

**ROXXY:** Oh yeah! He said that he knocked him out!

**PV:** Otherwise the placement of it would be rather...curious…

**NORIKO:** Well, Nishimuraya-san? Was a rolling pin what you were attacked with?

**MASANORI:** Yeah. I mean, I think. I didn’t get a chance to see it before I was out cold. Agyros probably got the same treatment.

_ Wait… _

**LANI:** Oh right, she was snuck up upon in a similar way...it’s a shame she didn’t get to put up a fight…

_ That’s it! _

**SHUJI:** That doesn’t add up!

**MIKI:** Tch, someone’s developing a catch phrase…

**SHUJI:** There was definitely a fight! Alena-chan had a bruise on her arm in the shape of a hand!

**MASANORI:** I thought we determined that she was dragged out of the fire already, that doesn’t mean there was a fight.

**SHUJI:** You’re wrong. I mean, you’re right about being dragged out of the fire, but if you looked at the position of her body she’d clearly been dragged by her legs, not her arms.

**MASANORI:** I never even got to see the fucking body, dude. How am I supposed to know?

**SHUJI:** Well...Roxxy-chan took pictures, didn’t she?

**ROXXY:** I did!

**AIKA:** You keep surprising me with how morbid you are. You deserve another look, I think.

**ROXXY:** Gross! Here, Masa-chan. Look. Her legs are all straight and her arms are flopped, so she had to have been dragged, right?

**MASANORI:** ...I guess so.

**LANI:** If there was a fight, should we look for someone with injuries?

_ Lani very pointedly does not look at Masanori’s scratched face, but he doesn’t need to. _

**MASANORI:** Hey! I fucking told you where I got hurt! I was attacked before Agyros even died! I’m still saying Ama did it! He told that whole story about the killer sneaking up on her to derail us!

**KATA:** I. Did. Not. Attack. You. Am I speaking Japanese? Do you understand?

**SHUJI:** ...it’s true, Ama-san has a flimsy alibi…

**MIKI:** So he did it! Let’s vote already!

**MASANORI:** I don’t know why we’ve waited around this long, we always knew who did it!

**NORIKO:** No! We have to find the true killer and bring them to justice!

**SHUJI:** I don’t think Ama-san did it. 

**MIKI:** Then who the hell did?!

**SHUJI:** I don’t know yet! Just let me think!

**PV:** What do we know so far?

**KYO:** We know Agyros-san was attacked, we know there was a fight in which she ended up in the fireplace, was dragged out, and was beaten to death with a rolling pin found in the kitchen.

**AIKA:** Technically we don’t know for a fact that the rolling pin is the murder weapon.

**KATA:** Do you have any good ideas or are you just here to make things harder?

**AIKA:** I’d be happy to make  _ something  _ harder.

**MASANORI:** You disgust me. Anyway, the rolling pin was used to attack me, so it must’ve been used on Agyros too, right?

**YUI:** Ahem, we still don’t know who is telling the truth about the attack on Nishimuraya-san. It’s one word against the other, since neither accounts have witnesses.

**ISEI:** We should focus on the crime we know happened…

_ His voice is hardly more than a squeak, but people are nodding. At least they’re not paying too much attention to him. I’m not sure what I would say to try to save his skin. _

**PV:** We’ll ignore the supposed attack for now and pretend neither of them have an alibi. Is there anything else we can use as a clue?

**SHUJI:** Yes!

_ Everyone looks at me. It came out a little more enthusiastic than I’d planned, true, but I’m still nervous under the stares. _

**SHUJI:** I mean, yes. I think I know something that can help us solve this.

**MIKI:** Cut to the goddamn point, will you?

**SHUJI:** The bruise on Alena-chan’s arm. Did anyone else notice something weird about it?

**ROXXY:** Umm...No…

**SHUJI:** There’s only 4 fingers. Soga-kun said he’d bet the handprint was missing a pinky. So...someone’s missing a finger.

**KATA:** _[Stunned]_ You think Agyros managed to cut someone’s _finger_ off in the scuffle before she died?

**AIKA:** There would’ve been a lot more blood if someone had lost a finger.

**BO:** From here is easy, yes? Just everyone show hands!

**KYO:** I think we’re jumping the gun on the finger thing. Someone just as easily could have broken their finger in the fight and not used it to grab her arm, right? That would be a lot easier to hide than an entirely missing pinky.

**BO:** Ugh, you’re right.

**PV:** What about the murder weapon?

**BO:** Yeah!!

**KATA:** Riddle me this, assholes. If I attacked Nishimuraya, then randomly went off to find some other victim, killed Agyros, and then split--why would I put the rolling pin back in the kitchen?

**ROXXY:** To frame Masa-chan, duh-doy!

**NORIKO:** It’s possible that the whole attack on Nishimuraya-san was driven by an urge to cover up a crime you had not yet committed. Perhaps by wounding him, killing Agyros-san, and looping back to deposit the murder weapon you would assume that we would target Nishimuraya-san as the killer due to the scuffle with Agyros-san.

**MASANORI:** Yeah!

**NORIKO:** But I’m not sure how likely that is.

**YUI:** There were an entire ten minutes before Moreau-san found Agyros-san and alerted Kyo, Saji-san and I to the situation, according to the Fey’s File. A murderer could have easily thrown the weapon in with the disastrously messy kitchen and hoped it would not be found.

_ There’s something that’s been nagging at the back of my head since this whole thing started. Maybe even since we found Alena. We keep talking in circles, but nothing has clearly pointed at any one person yet beyond random accusations. _

_ But...I think… _

_ Oh. _

_ I’ve got it. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting the second half of the trial in a few days, just long enough to make you curious!
> 
> Remember, if you'd like to participate in free time event votes or just hang out with me and some of my friends, feel free to join the Cornucopia of Hope discord server! I'd be so happy to hear theories and thoughts! Here's the link: https://discord.gg/2ZchRvq


	11. Chapter One: Persistence (Trial Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you guess it already?

**SHUJI:** I know who did it.

 **ROXXY:** Huh? What? You do?

 **MIKI:** It wasn’t me!

 **SHUJI:** No, I know that. I just...I kept thinking. What was Alena-chan doing outside of her room? She’d had a breakdown this morning, and refused to leave because…

_I break off, emotion temporarily overwhelming me. Kyo, fortunately, picks up where I left off._

**KYO:** She was afraid of being murdered. I guess she was right.

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, she would have been right, if she’d ever actually said that. We only knew about her breakdown because her _killer_ told us.

 **KYO:** I...think I understand.

 **ISEI:** Tell ‘em, Saji!

 **SHUJI:** You were right, Ama-san. It was premeditated. The killer had plans with Agyros-san. They were going to meet there. They were going to try to become closer friends. And he killed her in cold blood.

 **LANI:** Am I the only one not following? Who are you talking about?

 **SHUJI:** I...I orchestrated the whole thing, didn’t I?

 **MIKI:** Now Saji-kun is the murderer?!

 **ISEI:** No. But he knows who did it.

 **SHUJI:** I think Bo was right. Whoever left that handprint is the culprit for sure. But someone would had to have had a reason to be hanging out with Alena-chan, who was supposed to be in her room.

 **LANI:** She was pretty shy. If she was having a fit, I don’t really see her coming out to meet someone.

 **SHUJI:** Unless she didn’t have a fit, and she had plans to meet with a group.

 **NORIKO:** Did you make plans with her, Saji-san?

 **SHUJI:** Yes. I’m...responsible. But I didn’t kill her.

 **KATA:** Stop beating around the bush already! Who did it?

 **SHUJI:** Nishimuraya-san, can I see your hands?

 **MASANORI:** Wh-what? Are you seriously accusing me?

 **SHUJI:** Nishimuraya-san. Can I see your hands?

 **MASANORI:** Oh, this is just fucking swell. You give that grandiose speech about how being nice is a form of defense, how if I’m just nice, people will want to protect me! Bullshit! You probably fucking killed her and were waiting until now to blame me!

 **ROXXY:** Don’t worry, Masa-chan! I’m still with you! Just show him your hands and you’ll be cleared! We can move onto the next thing!

 **MASANORI:** Why should I have to? Why should I consent to a fucking search? You hate me just like the rest of them, don’t you? You fucking...you...ugh! I hate you so much I can’t even think of a word to describe scum like you.

 **SHUJI:** The sad thing is that I don’t hate you. Can you please show me your hands?

_Masanori opens his mouth to say something hurtful, but as he does, Noriko stands and steps over to him. She pulls him to his feet, yanking his hands that are habitually in his pockets. He’s wearing mittens. How did I never notice that before?_

_Roughly, without any courtesy, Noriko rips the mittens off of his hand._

_On his right hand there are 4 fingers. There’s a scar, at least a few years old, where his pinky finger might be._

**ROXXY:** Oh...oh no, Masa-chan...you didn’t…

 **NORIKO:** Disgusting.

 **LANI:** Wait, are we sure this is totally incriminating? It could be a coincidence!

 **ISEI:** It isn’t.

 **MASANORI:** Prove it! If you’re so goddamn smart, prove that I actually did it. This is all just assumptions because you all hate me!

 **ROXXY:** I never hated you, Masa-chan...I sure didn’t like you at first but I didn’t hate you. We’re friends now, aren’t we?

 **MASANORI:** I don’t care if you live or die, you slut. You want me to take the fall for this like everyone else!

 **SHUJI:** Were you planning on killing her all along? I told you I was going to help you get to know people. Was it going to be anyone I chose? Or did you plan it after I told you we were going to hang out with Alena-chan?

 **KATA:** It would have been easy for him to hide that rolling pin in his big sweatshirt. He must have gotten it during breakfast. Tch...we didn’t even notice.

 **NORIKO:** I had stopped watching him because of Dan-san’s attempt on Heiji-san’s life, which facilitated the whole thing…

 **KYO:** Oh god...I encouraged Shuji-kun to cancel on his plans with Nishimuraya...if I hadn’t done that then maybe Alena-chan would be alive.

 **YUI:** No wonder he was so cooperative joining with our endeavor to catalog the supply closet…

 **FUMI:** And our argument… _[Covers her mouth with her hands.]_ We all just played into his hand, didn’t we? If I hadn’t shouted at him, he might not have walked away...I’m at fault too.

 **SHUJI** : If he already had the rolling pin, he would have cancelled anyway. He wanted to kill her. He’s a murderer.

 **NORIKO:** You’re the worst. You turned a genuine opportunity of friendship into...this.

 **SHUJI:** He waited until he had an opportunity to break away from the group at the supply closet and waited for her in the sitting room. He attacked her, and she put up more of a fight than he expected. She must have gotten the weapon away from him, which is why he grabbed her arm so hard, to get it back.

 **ISEI:** It was clumsy. But it was smart of him to pretend to have been attacked.

 **PV:** I can’t believe I let myself be distracted by the fake fight. He hid his injuries and the murder weapon and forced us to look at Ama-san as a suspect. If I hadn’t underestimated him, it would have been so obvious.

 **HEIJI:** Everyone thought he was so dumb, otherwise you guys would have seen through it in no time.

 **KATA:** I didn’t think he was strong enough to kill someone, I just assumed he wanted to incriminate me. It’s like trying to predict the motivation of a cockroach. It makes no sense.

 **SHUJI:** So during the fight, she was pushed into the fire. Then he made sure to finish the job. He went back to the kitchen to fake the fight, and managed to confuse everyone...The rolling pin just got dropped in with the rest of the trash.

 **AIKA:** It would be impressive if it weren’t so obvious in hindsight. It’s a plan made by a desperate child. It’s a shame.

 **LANI:** That he killed?

 **AIKA:** It’s a shame that his creativity is so shallow. He applies it so sparsely, and yet in a pinch is able to stump the lot of us. If he put that to something useful...Ah well, I suppose it’s pointless to discuss now.

 **MASANORI:** Oh, you all think you’re _so_ much better than me? Eat my shit. You don’t have fucking families to feed. You don’t have--you know what? Fuck it. You don’t get my tragic backstory. You get the middle finger of my left hand. You can all _die_ if you think you’re so much better than me!

 **THE FEY:** _[Snoring loudly]_ Snrk? Oh? Is it time? Did you idiots finally get to the point? I actually don’t care either way, I’m putting it to a vote! Please open your tablets.

_We collectively turn to our tablets. There’s a list of names and faces who have all become familiar to me over the past few days. We’re all wearing what looks to be a school uniform, and are smiling--or at least trying not to actively grimace--at the camera. Yearbook photos?_

_I find mine quickly. I look like I’m about to burst into laughter any second. My cheeks are puffed up and my eyes look like they’re watering. I wonder, vaguely, if the cameraperson told a joke. I keep scrolling._

_Alena’s is greyed out._

_I find Masanori in the list. He’s not wearing his cute mask, in this. His face is pulled into a half-smile, but he looks moments away from rolling his eyes. Still...his complexion is healthy. The bags under his eyes aren’t quite so prominent. He looks…_

_Happy._

_I select him from the list._

**THE FEY:** Wow, a near unanimous vote! Our favorite killer in the group voted for Kata still. Haha, pathetic. After all that over thinking, I’m actually surprised you got it at all!

_A screen descends from the ceiling, stopping above The Fey’s alcove, and flickers to life. Two cute pixel versions of people show up on screen. One looks like Masanori, the other looks like Kata. They have numbers next to them._

_Masanori’s picture has the number 15 next to it, while Kata’s has the number 1._

**THE FEY:** It’s tiiiime for punishment! Are you ready to see our dear friend Masanori get _executed?!_

 **NORIKO:** What?! Executed?

 **YUI:** That’s the punishment you had in mind??

 **LANI:** No! I thought he’d go to jail or something!

 **AIKA:** Jail? We’re already in jail, Ozaki-san.

 **FUMI:** _[Hands covering her mouth]_ You mean...we all voted to murder him?

 **THE FEY:** Fumi-chan’s got the right of it! You’re his judges and his jury, while I get the delight of being executioner. You sentenced poor little Masa-chan to death! I just can’t wait to see the expression on his little sister’s face! First her dad dies under mysterious circumstances, now this?!

 **SHUJI:** Stop it…

 **THE FEY:** And his poor mother! Having to pay for the therapy bills on top of paying off those loan sharks! Her husband’s gambling debts never really will go away, will they?

 **SHUJI:** Stop it! He didn’t want to tell us!

 **THE FEY:** If poor little Masa-chan had had a good father, maybe none of this would have happened, mm? But he’s got a deadbeat dad and only minutes left on the clock!

 **SHUJI:** Hey! Cut it out! We get it! You’re awful! Leave him alone! Just send him to prison or something and leave it be!

 **MASANORI:** You! You stay the fuck out of it, Saji! It’s your goddamn fault I’m gonna--I’m...I’m gonna…

 **THE FEY:** Die! You’re going to die!!!

 **MASANORI:** I’m...no! Wait! Give me another chance, please! My family…! I can’t die here!

 **THE FEY:** That’s where you’re wrong!

_No one has a chance to speak, to reassure Masanori in the concept of an afterlife, or to tell him that we’ll do our best to watch out for his family, before a metal claw closes around his throat and drags him out of the room._

_The image on the TV changes._

Dead Man’s Gambit 

_Masanori sits on a raft on a false ocean. It looks like special affects someone might use for a play; shiny cerulean cloth, glinting under the stage lights. The raft is taken up primarily by a garish gold slot machine, which Masanori seems to grimace at. He looks down at the cloth and grimaces at that, too._

_Something seems to be moving in the water beneath the raft, but I can’t quite make out what it is. It bumps the raft, jostling Masanori so badly that he has to cling to the machine for stability. He bumps the lever, and the images on the machine begin to spin._

Rolling Pin! Rolling Pin! Pinky finger?

_The machine hums, and a shark fin appears in the water. It begins circling the boat, and Masanori watches its motions carefully. It looks to be made of metal or plastic, like a toy you might put in an inflatable pool for kids. I can see a seam on the fin. Eventually, the shark bites into the raft, ripping open the plastic, and the boat begins to sink into the cloth-water._

_Frantically, Masanori begins pulling the lever on the slot machine again and again. Maybe getting the correct combination could lead to his salvation._

Trophy! Trophy! Ripped Page?

_Another shark appears. This one has bolts on its fin._

Tombstone! Tombstone! Knife?

_Another shark._

Sewing machine! Sewing machine! Cash?

_Shark._

Cash! Cash! Blank?

_Shark!_

_His raft is nearly entirely under the water now. He’s desperately pulling at that lever, trying to stay away from the sharks._

Cash! Cash! Cash!

_The jackpot!_

_Hundreds of photographs fly out of the machine, some landing in what’s left of the raft, others landing on the water, landing in the shark’s mouths as they rip them apart and continue circling. Pictures of a young woman, heavily pregnant and laughing at the camera. Pictures of a little girl with pigtails, proudly showing off a bug she’d found. Pictures of a young man, looking lovingly at his wife._

_He catches one and holds it. It’s a picture of the young man from the previous pictures, holding a little boy--maybe 5 years old--on his shoulders. Both of them look happy._

_Masanori deflates. He looks at the camera, and in his eyes remains only sadness. All of the fight, the aggression, the defensiveness, is gone. Just sorrow._

_A huge shark looms behind him, its jaws open wide, its eyes like tiny red LED bulbs. Masanori closes his eyes. The shark’s mouth closes, and Masanori and the raft and the slot machine are all gone. For a moment, all we see is the shine of sharp metal teeth._

Crunch.

_Whatever I had hoped for, it wasn’t this. Legs and a waist remain in the rapidly sinking raft, blood staining the ever-shifting pieces of fabric that make up the ocean. For a moment, that’s all there is. Silence and his legs._

_The other sharks leap from the water, as gracefully as dolphins, to try to get a piece of whatever’s left. It is violent. They bite at each other, at the legs, at the raft, at the water itself, before all that’s left of Masanori is little bits and pieces of fabric and flesh, left to float once each shark has had its fill._

_There is another moment of peace as all the sharks duck back under the water. I find that I’m looking at a pastoral ocean view, with shifting waves stained red by the light of the setting sun. Or...perhaps stained with something else as well._

_A single shark fin circles peacefully._

Masanori Nishimuraya, the Super High School Level Fashion Designer, is dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to vote on free time events for chapter two, please vote here: https://www.strawpoll.me/15730946


	12. Interlude: Weeping Mothers

She was really excited to see his apartment. She was excited that he even  _ had _ an apartment, apparently.

He remembered vaguely seeing her in first year, how scared she always seemed, and was glad to see her smiling. Her wide eyes would squint shut as she laughed and smiled, clutching at her belly after he said something goofy and prompted a giggle fit.

“I can’t wait until you meet Grandma,” he said, his hand on the doorknob.

“I thought you lived with |||||||||||? Your grandmother is here too?” she asked, tilting her head.

He laughed. “No, Grandma’s not my actual grandma. She’s a cranky old cat we adopted last year--”

He cut himself off, catching her expression. Her eyes were wide and round, her mouth tugged into a terrified frown. He took his hand off the doorknob, making his hands visible and clear. Hadn’t she started to get over the paranoia thing? What had he done wrong?

“Um, cats,” she said.

“Are you afraid of cats? That’s fair, Grandma is really mean. But I’m sure she’d love you! You’re quiet and she’s quiet, seems like a match made in heaven. Or is the fact that they’re so quiet why you don’t like them? Have you been a dog person this whole time?” He was babbling out of guilt for taking her to a place that made her scared.

She snorted. “No! I love cats. I’m deathly allergic.” Her face went entirely neutral, her eyes boring into his soul. “Were you making an attempt on my life?”

He laughed, the way someone who’d never had to think about murder in his life could laugh.

“I didn’t know! Let’s go to the park instead.”

They walked to the park nearby, glad to be in the sun, and got ice cream from a truck that passed by as they walked. While they ate the ice cream, she got onto the topic of gundam and didn’t let it go. He was glad to listen to her ramble, asking questions when it seemed appropriate.

“Hey,” she said suddenly, looking at him closely.

“What’s up?” he asked, smiling easily.

_ Her face changes, with the logic of dreams, and now he’s looking at someone he’d never fully considered a friend. _

He had seen him without his mask before, of course, as he’d spotted him eating in the lunch room or on picture day. Seeing him without his mask surrounded by his family, though? He had to admit it was a little uncanny.

For starters, his mom was so...cheerful? His little sister talked endlessly about her day in school--the various schoolyard dramas she was party to seemed to take up much of her time--while his mother kept offering to fill his plate for a second or third time.

Finally, his school friend spoke up: “I don’t know you real well or anything, but after what you said about your folks…” He shook his head, his shaggy hair flopping around his shoulders. “That’s not a fucking family.”

“Swear jar!” his mother said, seeming more amused than cross with him.

His friend grumbled and put a quarter in an overfull jar near the dining room table.

He smiled. This was a side of his classmate he’d never seen. “This really means a lot to me, you know? I wanna thank all of you so much. It’s nice seeing...well, a proper family.”

“We take care of each other,” his friend’s mother said with affection in her voice.

His friend rolled his eyes. “You take care of us, you mean. Can’t speak for the di--jerk...head. The jerkhead that was my dad. He saddled us with all sorts of problems…”

“Like me!” said his sister proudly.

“You’re not a problem,” he corrected.

“I’m annoying!” she said with confidence.

“No you’re not!” his mother said firmly. “And your father wasn’t all that bad. He did what he could for this family.”

His friend made eye contact with him, and they shared a  _ look. _ It was the type of look two children with one permissive parent and one bad one often shared, and it was all he could do not to laugh into his drink as they shared it.

The conversation returned to a focus on the little sister’s chatter, but the look lasted longer than it should have. His expression changed from confidentially amused or exasperated to sorrowful. His whole body seemed to shrink as the eye contact continued.

She was next to his friend, now. She sat there, motionless,her face blank and her eyes staring.

Her eyes filled with tears. “I miss my parents,” she said, her voice flat and neutral. “I miss my brothers. I’m never going to see them again.”

He was confused, but didn’t let it stop him. Despite the scenery change, he was able to pick up from the last conversation where it had left off. “What are you talking about? Once you graduate you’re going back to Los Angeles, right? You promised them!”

“You promised me,” she said flatly. Tears coursed down her emotionless face.

His friend caught his attention by speaking, still shrunken and full of sorrow. His voice was strong, despite this, defiant even.

“I’m not sorry,” he said, his voice flat and even despite his distressed expression. “I did what I had to for them. You’d never understand. You lied to me. You promised.”

“You promised,” she said flatly.

“You promised,” he said, and his voice sounded like he was under water.

“You promised.”

YOU

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

PROMISED

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**SHUJI:** \--gh!

_ I woke up in the dead of night, my heart hammering in my chest. What was that? _

_ I try to sit up in bed, but I’m shaking so bad it’s harder than I thought it would be. I guess it’s natural to have nightmares after watching someone die. I shake my head and try not to think about it. _

_ My phone has been plugged in since earlier tonight, after Roxxy’s suggestion, so I check it for the time. Once I manage to blink through the tears (was I crying? Why was I crying?) I can tell that it’s 4 in the goddamn morning. _

_ I roll over and try to go back to sleep. _

_ For some reason, right as I start to fall asleep again, a phrase sticks out at me.  _ Weeping mothers mourn.  _ I don’t know what it means. I go back to sleep. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be starting a new posting schedule! I'll be posting a new chapter every two weeks (since I've got a decent backlog, hopefully I can keep to it)!
> 
> If you're reading, please feel free to comment even if you just wanna tell me that this fic sucks. That's good feedback too.
> 
> There's a Cornucopia of Hope discord server, where you can see art and other goodies! Join here: https://discord.gg/wkNfNKd


	13. Chapter Two: Patience (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, which means a new area to explore! Introducing: The infirmary, bathhouse, and library!

**THE FEY:** It is now 7 in the morning. If you don’t get up now, you may never get up again! Remember, your friends are dead and it’s your fault!

_ When I wake again to The Fey’s electronic laughter, my pillow is wet with tears. I spent most of last night crying, finally letting myself crash and mourn my friend and would-be friend’s death, and the rest of it was spent in weird dreams. _

_ I get up, I shower, I change into fresh clothes, and I cry again. _

_ I hadn’t let myself collapse during the investigation; I couldn’t. I had to keep moving forward, forcing myself to take steps until I could finally stop. Once I stopped, after a sluggish walk back to my bedroom, I absolutely fell apart. I’m comfortable enough with myself to admit that I cried like a baby. At least, I cried like a teenager who had just witnessed someone die. I cried like someone who had failed to protect someone who was becoming important to them. _

_ But today is a new day. I know I’m a long way from fully processing all of this (I’m pretty sure this ordeal counts as a traumatic experience), but I’ve done what I can with the emotions I’ve felt. I figure if anyone else wants to talk about it, I’ll feel it again then. _

_ For now, I’m okay. I’ll talk about it in therapy later, if I can ever afford that, but for now? _

_ I leave my bedroom to face the day. _

_ Isei is in the hallway as I close my door behind me, apparently returning to his bedroom to grab something. He looks exhausted to the bone. _

**SHUJI:** What’s up?

**ISEI:** Haha wow, you look like shit, dude.

**SHUJI:** Thanks. You too.

**ISEI:** Fair enough. I don’t think anyone slept well last night.

**SHUJI:** Want to talk about it?

**ISEI:** Nah, I’ve got stuff to do. I was grabbing my phone and tablet to make sure I have everything I need, wanna come with?

**SHUJI:** Come what? Huh?

**ISEI:** Oh, right, I guess an announcement wasn’t made or anything. That door The Fey opened last night is still open, and the gate blocking off the stairs is gone.

_ Well that seems like pretty crucial information not to announce. _

**SHUJI:** God I hate The Fey.

**ISEI:** Oh yeah, same. Wanna come explore with me? I took a cursory look around already, but I wanted to be able to take notes and stuff.

**SHUJI:** Was it Roxxy-chan’s idea?

**ISEI:** I was gonna be a doofus and try to write it on paper as I walked, and she just looked at me like I had two heads.

**SHUJI:** You’d think a bunch of technology obsessed millennials would’ve been glued to our phones as is, signal or not.

**ISEI:** I heard Heiji-kun has a flip phone.

**SHUJI:** Wow, I didn’t know he was a million years old.

**ISEI:** [Chuckles.] Yeah, he said something vague about losing it in the ocean. His sister’s hardly better. She only has a smartphone to take pictures of her kid. She admitted she doesn’t even know if she has a notes app.

**SHUJI:** They’re both so old!

**ISEI:** I think it’s good we’ve got a mom in our group. Somebody’s gotta remind us to wash our hands and eat vegetables, right?

**SHUJI:** Yeah...I hope her son is okay.

**ISEI:** Oh. Yeah, me too. If something happens to her in here…

_ He trails off, biting his lip to stop himself from continuing on that train of thought. I feel like an idiot for bringing it up.  _

**SHUJI:** Nothing will happen. Don’t worry. Did you say we were gonna explore?

_ Isei nods, glad to change the subject I think. He flashes me a grateful look before leading the way to the new areas. _

_ He leads me out into the foyer, and it is as he said. The front door, previously thought to lead to our freedom, is left ajar while the stairs seem to be unobstructed. The only evidence that there was ever a gate across the stairs is that the potted plants still stop at the step where it once stood. _

**ISEI:** Upstairs first, or to the out building?

**SHUJI:** Let’s start with upstairs. I’m not really eager to go back there yet.

**ISEI:** Fair enough. Let’s go.

_ We walk up the stairs, and I make a valiant effort not to think of Alena as we pass the plants. I fail, but I don’t start crying, so it’s a minor victory. Either way, we end up on a landing with two hallways branching off of it similar to the ground floor. _

**ISEI:** Alright, which way to explore?

**SHUJI:** Shouldn’t you be showing me around? Why am I the decision boy now?

**ISEI:** I don’t know, you strike me as a decision boy?

**SHUJI:** Seriously?

**ISEI:** No. A decision boy isn’t a real thing.

**SHUJI** :  _ [Laughing.]  _ Damn, I was really warming to the idea of being the decision boy. I guess you’ll have to decide where we’re going.

**ISEI:** C’mon, you’re the protagonist. Have some agency!

**SHUJI:** I’m the what?

**MIKI:** SOGA-KUN!

_ Miki comes jogging over to us. They donot move like someone who is accustomed to running, like someone who really hadn’t figured out the motion entirely. It's almost funny. _

**ISEI:** Dan-san. Sup?

**MIKI:** I have an important matter to discuss with you. Everyone else is exploring, let’s go to the dining room.

**ISEI** : Okay, that’s not ominous. Saji-kun, if I die, Dan-san did it.

**MIKI:** I’m not gonna kill you, you prat.

**ISEI:** Oh, that’s a relief.

_ Isei waves as they walk off together down stairs, and I’m left to explore on my own. I guess it’s time to be the decision boy after all. _

_ I head left first, and find myself in a hallway with one door at the far end and one door on either side. I go for the door on my right. _

_ Locked. _

_ Okay, off to a great start. This is why I’m not the decision boy after all. I rattle the doorknob a few times just to make sure it’s not stuck or something, but it seems pretty soundly locked. I’m a little worried someone is gonna pass by and think I’m an idiot for hanging out with a locked door, but I go ahead and get on one knee and look through the keyhole. _

_ It’s dark in there. _

_ I’m a really shitty detective. _

_ I get up and go to the door to my left. _

//A sterile white room with 4 medical cots, glass cabinets, and a countertop with drawers and a sink. The floor is white linoleum, and there are trash bins by the cabinets. Fumi, Bo, and Aika are present.

**BO:** With these, I shall make a concoction that will melt the very walls of this place and we’ll escape!

**AIKA:** I don’t know if I want to go for the wall melting drug use joke or a play on words with concoction. Help me out here.

**BO:** Um. Do the concoction one.

**AIKA:** More like con-COCK-tion, right?

**BO:** Oh, like a penis?

**AIKA:** Yeah. Like a penis.

_ Well, it looks like they’re in the midst of a very important conversation. I go over to stand by Fumi, who is watching them with arms firmly crossed. Her lips are slightly pursed, and honestly I’m just glad they have someone making sure they don’t cause too many problems. This is a dangerous duo, it seems. _

_ Fumi is standing by the cots, which seem to be pretty standard health room cots. They’re probably a little bit too short for someone like Katherine to rest in comfortably, but otherwise should be pretty accommodating. _

**BO:** You think if I mix these it’ll work? You’re a scientist.

**AIKA:** I  _ am _ a scientist which means I believe in the transformative power of experiments. Let’s find out.

**FUMI:** No.

**BO:** No? What if...yes?

**FUMI:** You’re not mixing pills to see what happens. And you, Akiyama-san, are going to stop making sex jokes or I’ll physically remove you from this room.

**BO:** _ [Pouting.]  _ Fine.

**AIKA:** I’d like to see you try.

**FUMI:** I’ve been lifting children, which are very heavy, over my head for the past two years minimum. I can carry you out of here if I must.

**AIKA:** ...fine.

_ I’d better touch base with all of these people, huh? _

[Aika] / [Bo] / [Fumi] / [Medicine Cabinet]

**[SELECT: Aika]**

_ I step over to Aika, who is standing by what seems to be a cabinet filled with pharmaceutical supplies. There are tons of pills in bottles, as well as little slips of paper denoting what each chemical will do to the human body. Gross. _

**SHUJI:** Hey.

**AIKA:** How are you holding up?

_ Wow that’s...a surprisingly nice question from her. I expected her to instantly start being gross about corpses or something but...Well, this is a relief. _

**SHUJI:** I’m surviving. I cried a lot last night and I figure I’ll cry some more again later, but for now I’ve got it all out of me and am doing alright.

**AIKA:** I’ve never studied the mind of someone who’s lost people that were important to them. I wonder what chemical effects it has on the brain...Would you be willing to undergo some tests?

**SHUJI:** I don’t really test well in general.

**AIKA:** I was thinking I would attempt to re-traumatize you and then ask you  a few bewildering questions to see what potential you might have for ESP when in a less cognitively stable state.

**SHUJI:** Hm. Can I think about that?

**AIKA:** I didn’t think you’d consent. This is why I have lawyers compose my consent waivers...tch…

_ She turns away from me with her arms crossed. _

**SHUJI:** Um. What do you think of all these pills?

**AIKA:** This cabinet is actually pretty interesting.

**SHUJI:** …

**AIKA:** …

**SHUJI:** Are you going to elaborate?

**AIKA:** _ [Sighs.]  _ You can look with your own eyes, can’t you? These are labeled as if they plan on children trying to use them. Some of these induce comas, some are poisons, that one is cyanide capsules, stuff like that.

**SHUJI:** Oh.

**AIKA:** Yeah. ‘Oh.’

_ She seems like she’s done talking to me. Her face isn’t ever that expressive, but I feel like I’m learning to read it a bit, and what it’s saying now is  _ leave me alone. _ So I will. _

**[SELECT: Bo]**

_ Next up is Bo, who is standing by another medical cabinet. Before talking to them, I notice that this one is full of things I actually recognize. This is all, for the most part, over the counter medicines to help with aches and pains and tummy troubles. Seems useful enough, if we’re gonna be here for a while. _

**SHUJI:** Anything interesting?

**BO:** Not since Fumi-sama banned me.

**SHUJI:** I think I agree with her ban, actually.

**BO:** I thought you were one of the good ones, Saji-sama.

**SHUJI:** Are you sure you want to hurt yourself with human medicines? Seems dangerous to an alien.

**BO:** ...you’re right, of course. I also found lots of diagrams for helping human bodies in the drawers over there.

**SHUJI:** Oh, that’s really good! No alien bodies though?

**BO:** Nope. It’s just me here, I guess. Why are you here?

**SHUJI:** What? 

**BO:** Usually you make breakfast at this time, then light the fire, then set to wandering. It’s only been a few days but your schedule has been...what’s the Japanese word? Normal? But doing it a lot?

**SHUJI:** Consistent?

**BO:** _ [Shrugs.]  _ Could be. Why are you upstairs exploring, and breaking from the schedule?

_ They’re right, I did break my schedule. To be honest, I don’t want to go anywhere near that sitting room ever again if I can help it. But that’s no reason to skip breakfast. _

**SHUJI:** I guess this seemed important? Soga-kun was right there when I woke up and he lead me over here.

**BO:** Oh! Are you friends?

**SHUJI:** Sure. I’m basically friends with anyone who’ll let me.

**BO:** Like Nishimuraya-sama.

**SHUJI:** ...I don’t know.

_ I’m sure Bo could keep talking, but that kindof put me out of the mood. Mourning Alena is easy. It’s uncomplicated. She was my friend and she was taken from me, and I miss her. Simple. But Masanori is a whole different story. He was starting to be my friend, true, and I think I could have gotten to know him and learned a lot about him. He did what he did to protect his family, I think. But he also murdered my friend and refused to apologize for it. _

_ I don’t know how to feel about him. _

_ Another thing to deal with in therapy, I guess. _

**[SELECT: Fumi.]**

_ I walk over to Fumi, who is still keeping an eye on the oddballs fiddling around with the medicine. _

**SHUJI:** Thanks for keeping track of all of us, by the way.

**FUMI:** Hm? Oh, it’s not a problem!

**SHUJI:** Soga-kun is grateful too. We talked about it.

**FUMI:** Really? Aw, you two are so sweet. I guess I kinda kick into Mom-mode without thinking about it.

**SHUJI:** That’s fair. I think we need a mom in the group to stop us all from like, eating sand or something.

**FUMI:** _[Giggles]_ Fortunately there’s no sand to eat, yet. I think you’re all plenty mature enough to handle keeping your hands out of your mouths most of the time, so I’m not too worried.

_ Except for the fact that one of us murdered another. But I don’t want to bring down the mood. _

**SHUJI:** I’m glad to have your vote of confidence!

**FUMI:** Oh no, did I sound condescending just now? I can never tell. Talking out loud sucks.

**SHUJI:** Hence the letter writing?

**FUMI:** Absolutely. Everything is easier written down.

**SHUJI:** So why don’t you have a notes app on your phone?

**FUMI:** _[Blushing.]_ Did Soga-kun tell you that too?

**SHUJI:** I’m just teasing you, don’t worry about it.

_ She smiles gratefully, but before she can respond Bo knocks something over and she steps over to scold them. She’s definitely gonna be busy if she makes it her job to keep an eye on everyone here. _

[SELECT: Medicine Cabinet]

_ The medicine cabinet seems like it might be plot important eventually, so it behooves me as Decision Boy to check it out on my own. I meander over to it, standing between Aika and Bo, and try to take a serious look at its contents. _

_ On one side is more conventional stuff. All of it is name brand, so I find myself having to rotate the bottles to see what they actually are. Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and other standard painkillers are mixed in with antibiotics and things like that. Don’t you usually need a prescription for stuff like that? _

_ I guess without any doctors around, we’ll have to fend for ourselves if we get sick. The thought concerns me. I might know how to cook for everyone, but I can’t remember the last time I saw a doctor. I have no idea how to treat illnesses. I hope someone else has some experience with it, just in case. _

_ The other side of the medicine cabinet is cause for some alarm. _

_ At first it just seems like rarer medications, stuff they keep locked up at pharmacies. There’s amphetamines, sertraline, and lots of stuff you might use for treating mental illnesses. If I had access to the internet, I might piece together what some of these do, but as it is, they just look a little scary. _

_ Taking a more thorough look, however, the sheer amount of clearly poisonous things in the cabinet is not very encouraging. My first thought is to be worried about someone taking them on accident, but seeing the little skull and bones on each label makes me worry more about more nefarious uses. _

_ I’m not particularly happy I even thought about what could be done with those pills.  _

_ I’ll try to get Yui or Noriko to hang up a sign or something. Maybe that’ll discourage people. _

_ Having nothing else to do in the room for now, I head out to see the final door in the hallway. Or rather, hopefully, what’s behind it. If it’s another locked dark room I’m gonna be pretty upset. _

_ I open the door easily, however, and it reveals the most beautiful bathhouse I’ve ever seen. _

//The bath is large and set into the floor, with some screens leaning against the wall to create a makeshift changing area. Towels are in low shelves near the entrance, with some rods nearby the bath itself to hang them on for the duration of the bath. There is a projector in one corner, casting the scene of a beautiful sky onto the wall where a window should be. Heiji is already in the bath.

_ Holy shit. I knew we were staying in a fancy house but WOW. _

_ Heiji waves at me as I come in, but I decide to do a little bit of exploring in the room itself before engaging with him. I have the feeling he’s gonna want to invite me in. _

_ First of all, I check out the projector. It’s got a couple of different modes, it looks like, and I wonder if it’s showing an accurate depiction of the weather outside. It seems to be projecting an idyllic autumn morning with fluffy clouds being pushed along by the slightest bit of wind. _

_ Before I can think too deeply about how much I miss seeing the sky, I turn to the towel shelves. Each towel is rolled up nicely on the shelf, and I know if I try to put one back I’ll bungle the hell out of it, so I don’t even bother touching them. On top of the shelf are some cute little cactus plants and a basket with various signs in it. _

_ There are 3 signs, to be specific, and they seem to be intended to hang on the doorknob of the bathhouse. They declare if the bathhouse is in use, and by which gender, I guess so nobody has to see a butt they weren’t prepared for. _

_ Heiji’s clothes are just on the floor, and he didn’t get himself a towel. He also forgot to put one of these on the door. I bite back a sigh, and hang the sign on the doorknob before heading over to him. _

**HEIJI:** So, are ya gonna get in?

**SHUJI:** Maybe later, it does look pretty nice in here.

**HEIJI** : I pretty much dove in as soon as I saw this place on the map.

**SHUJI:** So it’s not a stereotype that surfers live to be in water?

**HEIJI:** Can’t speak for every surfer, but I’m a water baby through and through. How else would my skin be so moisturized?

_ I’m not sure that’s how that works, but I don’t know enough about water or skin to argue. _

**SHUJI:** Wait, did you say this place is on the map? So The Fey updated it?

**HEIJI:** Yeah! I’m an old coot when it comes to technology, but the map seems pretty handy.

_ I pull my tablet out of my pocket and open up the map. _

**SHUJI:** I better be careful not to drop this in the water.

**HEIJI:** Huh?

**SHUJI:** Stuff like this usually breaks if you put it in water?

**HEIJI:** So  _ that’s _ what’s been happening to my phones?

_ I let him have his revelation in peace, and look over the map. It looks like there’s only one more open room on this floor, but the out building with the courtroom is still open. Eugh. The courtroom. I think I’ll stick to the new floor until I get bored, but… _

**SHUJI:** Did you notice the swimming pool?

**HEIJI:** _ [Eyes wide.] _ What? 

**SHUJI:** Over by the courtroom, there’s a pool.

_ Heiji stands up and oh my god yep he’s naked. I quickly shuffle over and hand him a towel. _

**HEIJI:** I owe you one! I’m gonna go check it out!

_ He starts to embark with just the towel wrapped around his waist. _

**SHUJI:** Don’t forget your clothes!

_ Heiji pauses, looks back at me apologetically, and scoops up his clothes in his arms before taking off again. Jeez, he’s really comfortable with his body I guess. _

_ He opens the door, mumbles an apology to someone, and scampers off. _

**KYO:** Oh, this room isn’t locked anymore?

_ Kyo comes in to take Heiji’s place, I guess, and looks around with sleepy eyes. It seems like they just woke up, and are late coming to the exploration like I am. _

**SHUJI:** I wasn’t aware it had ever been locked.

**KYO:** Oh, I just showed up and tried the handle and it wasn’t working. I guess it said it was in use by a boy, but I don’t really care if I see a dick so I was gonna try to see what was going on in here anyway.

**SHUJI:** Huh, I wonder if the ‘In Use’ sign locks it to people of other genders.

**KYO:** That would make sense. Actually, would it? The person who locked us here wants us to kill each other but is squeamish about someone seeing dong?

**SHUJI:** Maybe they want us to have privacy?

**KYO:** It just seems weird.

_ They step over to the basket full of signs that I noticed and pull the signs out to read them. _

**KYO:** Plus, look at this. There’s a third gender marker. Since when are supervillains inclusive?

**SHUJI:** That’s a good point. I still don’t have a clue why anyone would do all this, though.

**KYO:** _[Shrugs.]_ I guess there’s not a lot of point to worrying about it. Not like we can do anything about it now.

**SHUJI:** I’m gonna keep looking around.

**KYO:** Oh! Sure, I’ll see you around. Remind me next time we talk, I wanted to run something by you!

**SHUJI:** Should we talk now?

**KYO:** Nah, I’m still working out details. I’ll talk to you later!

_ With that, I leave. I pause to take the In Use sign off the door and hand it back to Kyo, who looks at it quizzically, but puts it back. Time to see the last room on this floor, I guess! _

_ I walk across the landing and glance down it, to see Miki and Isei still talking. Well, it looks like neither of them have been murdered yet, so that’s good. I keep walking. _

_ This hallway ends in a staircase, which is gated. There’s no plants, and the wood itself seems to be darker. It’s a classier set of stairs, I guess, but the gate still looks really out of place. It’s just a reminder that we’re trapped, and I’m already having a pretty hard time forgetting about that as is. Glancing around to make sure nobody’s watching, I stick my tongue out at the gate. Gotta let it know what I think of it. _

_ Besides the stairs, there’s only one doorway on this hallway. It’s larger than the previous doorways, with double doors indicating a much larger (or at least fancier?) room. If it’s any nicer than that bathhouse I think I’ll pass out. I can only take so much rich people stuff. Maybe this is why I didn’t investigate much when we first woke up here. _

_ I open the doors to reveal a huge library. It looks like the library from a university, not a home library at all. There are shelves lining the walls, with more shelves standing in the middle, and large work desks with computers on them. _

**SHUJI:** Computers!

**PV:** No internet.

_ I hadn’t even noticed the people in here when I opened the doors; I was too flustered by the size of this place. _

_ Disappointing, though. _

//Yui and PV are standing nearby shelves, while Kata is at a computer bay snooping around. There are shelves and work tables as described, in addition to big comfy cozy chairs nestled between bookshelves.

[Kata] / [PV] / [Yui] / [Shelves] / [Computers]

**[SELECT: Kata]**

_ Kata seems to have found a bunch of laptops, the kinds that schools have and will rent out for important projects if the school is nice enough. He has one laptop in his hands already, and is poking at it suspiciously. _

**SHUJI:** Anything interesting?

**KATA:** Go away.

**SHUJI:** Oh...did I say something to upset you?

**KATA:** Not me, personally. In fact you seem to be a fairly valuable person in the class trial we had. Still, begone.

**SHUJI** : Can I get a reason why? 

_ Is he looking at something unsavory on the computer? If it’s porn I don’t want to see it. Actually, I can’t think of a single embarrassing thing someone could be doing on a school laptop that I  _ would _ want to see. _

**KATA:** Easy. Every person you’ve taken the time to try to become close to? Dead now. It’s probably unrelated but I’m not gonna let it be up to chance. Now get away from me.

**SHUJI:** Okay, I guess. Sorry.

_ I’m still a little confused by that exchange, but I walk away. Was he trying to hurt my feelings, or is he just like that? If he doesn’t let me get to know him, I guess I’ll never know. _

**[SELECT: PV]**

_ Pure Virtual is hanging around by the shelves near the door, which is why they were able to helpfully (?) interject when I got unrealistically excited about the computers. They’re looking at the shelves, occasionally touching the spines of the books, but otherwise doesn’t seem to be too busy. _

**SHUJI:** I guess you already checked the computers out, huh?

**PV:** Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble. They’re basically useless as is. All they’ve got is that loser’s otome games.

**SHUJI:** That loser? Oh, Ama-san?

**PV:** Yeah. He’s being a real dick ever since Nishimuraya-san accused him of murder.

_ I can see that, a little bit. I guess people react to trauma in different ways. Who am I to judge? _

**SHUJI:** I guess that’s. Um. Well, it’s almost reasonable. A lot of people were basically trying to get him executed.

**PV:** _ [Sighs.]  _ Fair.

_ They look really worn out. They still took the time to do their fancy makeup and dump what I can only assume is an entire bottle of hair product into their hair, but they look a bit like they’ve been crying. I didn’t know they were so emotionally involved in the whole thing. _

_ I feel kinda guilty for sorting them into the Weird Asshole group after the first couple days here. _

**SHUJI:** Are you holding up alright?

**PV:** I am...not. It’s okay. I got my hopes up about the computers, and…[Frowns.] How do you respond to this? Death, I mean. We saw someone die. We saw a corpse. Some people even touched it.

**SHUJI:** I don’t have an answer for you. I guess...in my experience, it’s better to let it out when you’re in a safe spot. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and cry and yell and whatever else you need to do and then take some deep breaths. It doesn’t make it go away but…

**PV:** It might ease the pain in my chest. Thank you. I didn’t know you were quite so smart.

**SHUJI:** Um. Thanks! Me either?

**PV:** _[Smiles.]_ I think you’ll be a good ally to have. Continue to support me, please.

_ With that, they turn back to the books. Huh. I’m not really sure how to feel about all that, but okay. As I’ve said, I’m not really sure how to feel about most of this. Time to move along. _

**[SELECT: Yui.]**

_ Yui is...how can I put this? She’s just disrespecting the hell out of this library. She’s pulling books off of shelves, opening them, glancing through, and then either tossing them aside or putting them on a different shelf. It’s bizarre. I have to ask what she’s doing. _

**SHUJI:** Reorganizing?

**YUI:** Yes. I mean, no, not really. The organization is...questionable at best, but that’s not my goal here.

**SHUJI:** Oh! You have a goal?

**YUI:** I’m hoping to find clues as to who the despicable person who might put us here is. Please, use some critical thinking skills.

_ I want to be offended but, taking a closer look at Yui, she’s definitely been crying. Her eyeliner is smudged, but looks like it’s been dabbed at enough to not look like she’s in a 2003 music video. As she takes another book off the shelf, I see her hands are shaking slightly. _

**SHUJI:** Suzuki-san, are you doing okay?

**YUI:** How could I be? We murdered someone.

**SHUJI:** We…?

**YUI:** We voted for Nishimuraya-san to die. We killed him. All of us. Together. We’re murderers.

**SHUJI:** I hadn’t thought of it that way. But I don’t think we are murderers.

**YUI:** What? We killed him!

**SHUJI:** Whoever put us here killed him. We didn’t know what we were voting for. I thought… _ [Sighs.] _ I don’t know what I thought. I guess I thought he’d go to jail.

**YUI:** _[Expression softens.]_ I thought so too. I didn’t know...I assumed one of us would kill. I don’t trust people enough for one of us not to. But I didn’t know about this trial or...It’s awful. All of it is.

**SHUJI:** I’m sorry.

**YUI:** _ [Scowl.]  _ Why? Did you do this? Did you put us here?

**SHUJI:** Oh wow, I don’t think so. I hope not. It’s like you said a few days ago, how can we know if one of us did it? I don’t think I’m that kind of person, though. I sympathize with what you’re saying, is all I meant.

**YUI:** Oh. I suppose you’re right. I’m sorry for lashing out.

**SHUJI:** Don’t worry about it. If you need to talk or anything...let me know, okay?

**YUI:** I will. I’ll talk right now. I think somewhere in here may be a clue to escaping.

_ That’s not what I really meant, but I adjust quickly. _

**SHUJI:** That seems unlikely. 

**YUI:** _[Raises an eyebrow.]_ Harsh critique. 

**SHUJI:** I just don’t think, if I were doing it, I’d put a bunch of secret doors in the library. I don’t see how a book is gonna help us get out of here.

**YUI:** You’re...right. But this may have clues as to who the puppetmaster behind all of this is. This doesn’t seem to be an academic library; it’s certainly not designed like one. Which makes me think this might be the personal collection of the puppetmaster.

**SHUJI:** Oh! That makes sense!

**YUI:** Plus...Hmm. I wasn’t going to tell you this, but perhaps you’ll do something good with the information. I found dossiers on each of us.

**SHUJI:** Seriously?

**YUI:** Yes. Each one contains a photograph of us, some measurements, and quite a bit of information. Except for yours.

**SHUJI:** Mine?

**YUI:** Yes. You told me, back when we first woke up here, to guess your talent. Is it because you don’t know what it is?

_ Oh I do not like the way this conversation is going anymore. _

**SHUJI:** What do you mean?

**YUI:** Nothing. Maybe. You should read through these, given the opportunity.

[ITEM GET! Dossier x 17]

_ I’ll look over these later.  _

**[SELECT: Shelves]**

_ I can’t help but feel some sense of relief, looking at all these books. Books have kept me company throughout all sorts of traumas in my life, and it looks like they’re going to continue to do so. Tragic backstory aside, they’ll also give me something to do other than cook while I’m here. _

_ The books themselves seem to be pretty varied, although there isn’t a coherent organization system here. It really does seem like a personal library. There’s books in English mixed in with Japanese fishing histories, paired with trashy vampire romance, accompanied by classic Russian tales of illegality and retribution… _

_ It’s a lot to take in.  _

_ After shuffling through a section apparently dedicated to some seriously bad looking manga, I find a book I’d be willing to read.  _

_ I pick it up and turn it over a couple times in my hands.  _ Sustainable At-Home Gardening on a Budget _ by Alena Agyros. _

_ I hadn’t known she’d written a book, but it makes sense. There’s a note on the back that she wrote it originally in English, and it was translated by a friend and published for the first time in Japan. There’s a picture of her on the back; a candid of her in her garden at home. _

_ I stuff it in my shoulder bag. There’s time to cry about this later. _

**[SELECT: Computers]**

_ Although I’d already been warned that the computers didn’t have internet, I can’t help but feel like these are going to be important. _

_ I sit down and jiggle the mouse, and the screen turns on. There are a handful of icons on the desktop, so I click to investigate.  _

Sweet Circuit?  _ An otome game. _

Blush Crush?  _ An otome game. _

Heart Acre?  _ An otome game. _

Flight of Fate?  _ Yet another otome game. _

_ I spend a full ten minutes clicking on each icon on the computer, and every single one is an otome game. I try to dig through any files on the computer that might not be present on the desktop, and guess what I find. _

_ Well, it looks like people will have a way to vent their romantic frustrations while they’re in here. _

_ For now, I think I’d like to get out of here. I had more success with Pure Virtual than with Yui or Kata, to be sure, but this was not my happiest memory of a library so far. I guess, since there’s nothing else left on this floor, it’s time to check out that out building. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting the second half of investigation in one week, rather than two, and you'll get to see what's in those dossiers after that ;)
> 
> Also! I've just moved, and we're switching internet providers so I'm in a bit of a tumultuous spot in relation to writing this! I've got plenty of backlog to continue posting (as long as I can find a place with wifi to do it from, like today) so I wouldn't worry too much about posting schedule for a while, but once I use up that backlog, things might get a little less consistent!
> 
> If you like Cornucopia of Hope, please don't forget to comment! Tell me what you like about it so I can do more of that! Also, feel free to join the discord server, where we post art and trivia about characters, so you can talk to other people who like it! Link here: https://discord.gg/wkNfNKd


	14. Chapter Two: Patience (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji explores the rest of the new areas, and touches base with his fellow captives.

_ On my way, I head over to the Hotel area and dump the dossiers on the desk in my room. I really don’t want to be carrying those around. _

_ The tunnel that leads to the out building is just as dimly lit as I remember. It’s a depressing walk, and longer than it should be to get to more rooms. Maybe I’m just bitter because it takes the place of what I thought was escape. Instead of sunshine and fresh air, it’s just a dirt tunnel. The ground is even a little uneven! It’s a poorly made dirt tunnel! Stupid tunnel! This is worse than the stairs. _

_ I make my way to the out building, finally, and notice that the little chain blocking off the other door is gone. I’m not super eager to go back to the courtroom, although the door is still ajar, so I go to that one instead. _

_ It leads to a wide open room with a tiled floor and--oh, Heiji is here. It’s the swimming pool. On the far side is a set of stairs which seems to be unlocked, and nearby is another door labeled  _ Changing Room. _ The pool itself seems to be a pretty standard Olympic sized swimming pool, with lines on the bottom letting people stay in their lane while swimming. _

_ Heiji is doing laps. _

**HEIJI:** Hey dude! Come to take a dip?

**SHUJI:** No thanks! Still just looking around. Where did you leave your clothes?

**HEIJI:** There’s a changing room! Swimsuits and stuff too, which is handy. When I’m not in the bathhouse people are pretty weird about me being naked.

**SHUJI:** Can’t imagine why!

**HEIJI:** Yeah, that’s what I said! Nothing wrong with a little friendly nudity!

**SHUJI:** I’m gonna check out the changing room.

**HEIJI:** Cool!

_ What a weird dude. He’s so laid back it almost stresses me out. Anyway, I check out the changing room as I said I would. _

_ It’s a pretty basic locker room. It’s got 17 lockers, a ton of towels, and showers for getting the chlorine off of you. The door can lock with both a push in lock on the doorknob and a little chain, which I guess ensures privacy. _

_ Out of idle curiosity, I open up a locker. Sure enough, it’s got two sets of swimsuits in it. One-piece bathing suits and swim trunks. Both seem to be set up to be functional rather than pretty, and are a plain navy blue. _

_ I leave the changing room shortly thereafter, and head upstairs after waving to Heiji. _

//I literally want a green screen here. Multiples shades, blurry, green. All that is to behold is green.

_ Upstairs is...green. _

_ What? How is it so green? _

//The image comes into focus; a greenhouse interior.

_ My eyes focus once they become used to the light and I realize I’m standing in the most lush garden I’ve ever seen in my life. This is the garden of Eden. This is more plants than any single person should know what to do with. This area seems to take up the entire floor of this building, and it’s full to bursting with plants. There are trees and bushes and flowers and vines and… _

**SHUJI:** Alena would love this.

_ I almost turn around to go find her to bring her to this place. If she could be at ease anywhere in the world it would be here. But she’s gone. She’s gone. _

_ It’s a curious thing to have to remind yourself of. I guess I’ll get used to it someday. _

**ROXXY:** Are Rose petals too passe? I don’t know what flowers she wears on her clothes...maybe cherry blossoms are better?

**KATHERINE:** You really want a bunch of dead wilty flowers?

**ROXXY:** Yes! That’s the apex of romance! How are you going to confess to Miki-chan if you don’t use flowers?

**KATHERINE:** With my mouth?

**ROXXY:** Racy!

**KATHERINE:** ...words.

**ROXXY:** Aw. That’s sweet too!

_ Roxxy and Katherine are discussing romance by a large rose bush, and Lani seems to be further down the wending gravel path across the way. I should go talk to them. _

[Lani] / [Katherine] / [Roxxy] / [Plants]

**[SELECT: Lani]**

_ I walk over to Lani, who is sitting on a stone bench and staring up at the ceiling blankly. He looks like he’s been crying, but seems to have recovered. I take a seat next to him. _

**SHUJI:** Anything good up there?

**LANI:** It’s glass, but so thick we can’t even properly see through it. There’s lamps. That’s not the sun.

_ He sounds really depressed. _

**SHUJI:** I guess it’s too much to hope for sunlight, but the bathhouse has a pretty cool projector that makes you think you’re outside for a bit.

**LANI:** That’s worse! That just reminds me of what I’m missing!

**SHUJI:** Oh, I guess that consolation backfired. Um. Do you need to talk?

**LANI:** No. Yes. I don’t know.  _ [Sighs deeply.]  _ What do you do when you get sad?

**SHUJI:** Cry, mostly. Sometimes I get mad and punch a wall or something, but I don’t recommend it.

**LANI:** Have you been sad a lot, Saji-kun?

**SHUJI:** You can call me by my first name, if you want. But...I don’t know. I guess I’ve been sad a fair amount.

**LANI:** Okay, Shuji-kun. I’m not...good at being sad. I don’t have practice.

**SHUJI:** I’ve been happy a lot too. I try to focus more on that, in general.

**LANI:** I guess...I should focus on the stuff that makes me happy?

**SHUJI:** Yeah!

**LANI:** Like sunlight…

**SHUJI:** Oh.

**LANI** : I’m sorry. I just miss being outside. When I was a kid tinkering around with technical stuff my parents and my sister built me a computer lab that was mostly outdoors. I miss it.

**SHUJI:** That’s really cool of your family!

**LANI:** Yeah. They are cool.

_ I’m not sure what to say to him. Usually I’d recommend therapy or something but...we’re in Murder Town. _

**SHUJI:** Hey, Lani-kun?

**LANI:** Yeah?

**SHUJI:** You experienced a trauma. You’re still experiencing it. It’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to really not feel much at all, too. If you’re having trouble working out what to feel, that’s pretty normal.

**LANI:** Are you gonna tell me it’s all gonna be okay?

**SHUJI:** Do you want me to?

**LANI:** ...Yes. Please.

**SHUJI:** It’s all gonna be okay. Want a hug?

**LANI:** Yes. Thanks.

_ We hug for a moment, and he wipes his eyes. I guess he must have started crying again. After a bit of sitting in silence, he asks if it’s okay to be alone, and I let him.  _

**[SELECT: Katherine]**

_ I step over to Katherine, who is unenthusiastically following Roxxy around the garden. When she sees me approaching, she stalls and crosses her arms. She lifts her chin at me, which I guess is some form of greeting. I’ll accept it as one, anyway. _

**SHUJI:** Hey.

**KATHERINE:** What do you want?

**SHUJI:** Um. That’s a pretty good question actually. Do you mean philosophically, like what every man wants, or are you asking about our upcoming conversation?

**KATHERINE:** Is it upcoming?

**SHUJI:** I hope so!

**KATHERINE:** Fine. 

**SHUJI:** I have your permission to continue?

**KATHERINE:** Yeah.

**SHUJI:** I was just going around to see how everyone’s doing, I guess. A lot of people are pretty beat up about the whole thing.

**KATHERINE:** What whole thing?

_ I really didn’t think I’d explicitly have to explain that people were upset because they’d witnessed two deaths so far, but it’s just that kind of day. _

**SHUJI:** The trial? Execution? Nishimuraya-san was eaten by a robot shark in front of us?

**KATHERINE:** Oh. That. People are upset about it?

**SHUJI:** Yeah I’m pretty sure that’s what they’re upset about.

**KATHERINE:** Weird.

**SHUJI:** ...is it?

**KATHERINE:** Yeah.

_ It’s pretty obvious this is my first time talking to Katherine one on one. It’s a bit like talking to a brick wall. She’s always pretty emotionless, except for that one moment where she broke down in the trial. _

_ Hmm. _

**SHUJI:** So it seems like you got pretty worked up about Dan-san being accused last night.

**KATHERINE:** _ [Blushing but otherwise neutral.]  _ Did I? I don’t recall.

**SHUJI:** Seems like you like them a lot, if it’s enough to get you to lash out like that.

**KATHERINE:** Shut up.

_ Katherine walks away briskly, her long legs carrying her faster at a quick walk than I could at a steady jog. I guess that’s the end of that conversation. I dutifully shut up and go to do something else. _

**[SELECT: Roxxy]**

_ I head over to Roxxy, who is positively marching through the garden. She occasionally leans over to a flower and sniffs it, shaking her head, and continues on her way. She really seems like a woman on a mission. A mission I’m about to interrupt, I guess! _

**SHUJI:** Can I ask what you’re doing?

**ROXXY:** Planning the perfect proposal to Fumi-chan.

**SHUJI:** You are remarkably straightforward about your crush on her considering all that’s going on.

**ROXXY:** Well, are you gonna tell her about it?

_ Nothing about Roxxy is threatening, nor has it ever been. She’s a big cuddly magician who announces her presence with clacky heels wherever she goes. But there’s the tiniest bit of an edge to her voice that makes me feel like I  _ really _ shouldn’t tell Fumi that Roxxy likes her. _

**SHUJI:** Nope.

**ROXXY:** Then there’s nothing to worry about! Anyway, all that that nasty business last night made me think about is how short life is. So I need to plan! Do you have a favorite scent?

**SHUJI:** That’s a remarkably positive outlook on the whole thing, don’t you think?

**ROXXY:** Is it? Kathy-chan doesn’t seem worked up about it!

**SHUJI:** Does she ever get worked up about anything?

**ROXXY:** Mm, I think she does. She’s just private about it. Anyway, there’s no point.

**SHUJI:** No point?

**ROXXY:** What do you want me to do? Cry and beat my chest about the inhumanity of it all? It’s all dreadful. Really, really bad. But I don’t have like, any real way of changing it, do I? It happened and it’s horrible and I have to keep moving forward!

_ Wow, and I thought I’d be the one going around giving pep talks. She’s so emotionally adjusted it almost hurts to look at. _

**SHUJI:** You’re amazing, Roxxy-chan. Honestly.

**ROXXY:** Aww! You’re so sweet, Shu-chan! But if you don’t have a favorite scent you should probably leave me to my work.

**SHUJI:** I like cinnamon! But I don’t think that’s in the garden. I’ll talk to you later.

**ROXXY:** Okie dokie!

_ She marches off with a wink and a wave and gets back to studiously sniffing flowers. She’s committed. Fumi is gonna be really lucky if Roxxy ever gets around to actually asking her out. _

**[SELECT: Plants]**

_ I walk around the greenhouse for a while longer, checking out the sprinkler system and the lamps Lani had talked about. It’s super warm in here, and I end up rolling up the sleeves of my sweater. This might be the only room where Heiji’s revealing attire actually is sensible. _

_ There’s really a lot of plants here. That should be obvious, right? But the variety of it is pretty stunning. Roxxy’s hanging out exclusively by the flowers, but there’s tons of fruit and vegetables as well. The ferns are particularly nice, I think. _

_ The firm dirt path that winds throughout the whole thing gives a pretty good sense for how big this place is. It seems to be the entire top floor of this building. I let the path lead me throughout the greenhouse, until I find myself face to face with a sign. _

DON’T EAT THESE!

OR DO

I’M A SIGN, NOT A COP

_ Hmmm. _

_ I take a closer look at the plants behind the sign, but I’m not very experienced with gardening. If Alena were here, she could tell me what kind of plants these are and why we shouldn’t eat them. I would guess that this area is full of deadly nightshade or something, but I don’t know what deadly nightshade looks like. _

_ So we’ve got two poisonous areas available to us now: the infirmary and here. _

_ Oh joy. _

_ There’s nothing left to look at in here, though. It’s time to face the courtroom, I guess. Gross. _

_ I walk down the stairs, pass the pool, and cross over to the courtroom. It looks basically the same as we left it last night, except… _

_ In Masanori’s seat there’s a sewing machine with a piece of paper taped to it. It’s just notebook paper, but scribbled onto it with black permanent marker is a goofy looking face. It has crossed eyes and sharp teeth in a ridiculous frown. Is that supposed to be Masanori? _

_ Noriko is standing behind Alena’s chair, where the houseplant still sits. She looks to be deep in thought, but… _

**SHUJI:** Hey, Noro-san.

**NORIKO:** Hm? Oh, Saji-kun. You’re here.

_ There’s a pause. It wasn’t a question or anything but...this conversation is gonna die out soon. _

**SHUJI:** I sure am. Uh. Here. And also you are.

_ That’s me, Shuji the smooth talking conversation rescuer. I’m an idiot. _

_ She cracks a small smile, nonetheless. _

**NORIKO:** I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing here. It’s not the most interesting place to explore, compared to the garden or the library.

**SHUJI:** I wasn’t going to ask, but if you want to share, I’d be glad to listen.

**NORIKO** : ...Hm. You’ve got to be aware you’ve made yourself something of a backbone to everyone here, right?

**SHUJI:** I don’t know about a backbone. I hardly know most of the people here.

**NORIKO:** But everyone knows you, to an extent. You cook for everyone, you listen to anyone who would like to speak. If not for your intervention last night, we might have gotten the wrong answer.

**SHUJI:** I’m doing what anyone would!

**NORIKO:** You’re not doing enough.

**SHUJI:** I’m...not?

**NORIKO:** Both of us are...protectors, kinda. Mm. I’m still thinking it through.

_ Sometimes she sounds just like a normal teenage girl, despite the armor and bravado. I guess I’d already sorted her into being a Powerful Unstoppable person like Yui or Heiji, in their own ways, but she’s just a person. We all are. _

**SHUJI:** Think it out loud. I want to know what you’re worried about.

**NORIKO:** _[Smiles.]_ Thanks. I vowed to protect everyone, big and small, to the best of my ability. It’s one of the tenets of knighthood. It’s my...it’s more than my job. It’s my soul. You might not have vows to uphold, but you’ve made yourself important to the people here.

**SHUJI:** Have I?

**NORIKO:** Can I guess what you’ve been doing today? You’ve been going around talking to everyone, making sure they’re okay, as you go look at the new areas. Am I right?

_ I didn’t know I was so transparent. _

**SHUJI:** That’s pretty impressive deduction work, Noro-san.

**NORIKO:** Call me Noriko, please. I want us to be friends. We didn’t do enough to help Agyros-san or Nishimuraya-san and…

**SHUJI:** We’ll do better. Nobody else will die, Noriko-san.

**NORIKO** : I pray that you’re right, Shuji-san. I pray that you’re right.

_ Her mouth tugs into a slight frown and she grips the back of the chair until her knuckles turn white. I don’t think this is the kind of deep thought I should interrupt, especially since I can’t think of anything clever to say.  _

_ I decide to give her space. I walk back into the lobby, checking out the plants and chairs. Is anyone ever going to spend time in here? There’s another pink glittery feynance coin in one of the chairs. I pick it up and try to peel it to reveal a chocolate coin, just as I had last time. _

_ It’s still not chocolate. Just tacky. _

[Item Get! Fey Coin x1]

_ I bet these things are hidden everywhere. I’ll have another look later on. _

_ I head back to the main building, and realize it’s closer to lunch time than breakfast. Not too late to cook for people, if anyone has an appetite. Most everyone seems to have flocked to the new areas, so the kitchen and dining room are empty.  _

_ There’s some leftover rice in the fridge, so I go ahead and refry that with some bits of steak. I make enough for anyone who would want some, as has become my habit. I don’t think we’ve ever eaten together as a group since this whole thing has started, but it still feels nice knowing everyone will be eating the same thing. _

_ Kinda like a family. _

_ Except...how much like a family can we be? None of us really know anything about each other. How common is it for families to suspect and hurt each other? Even the strongest of us is worried that this family will self destruct violently, and people will die. _

_ Maybe it’s more like a family than I thought, actually. _

_ I take my bowl of food back to my room. Normally I’d eat in the dining room like a normal person, but the dossiers Yui gave me earlier have been lingering at the edge of my train of thought since she handed them to me. _

_ It’s time to take a look. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than usual purely so that I can post the dossiers as their own separate chapter! I'll be putting those up soon (within two weeks, definitely, but I don't have a concrete schedule for them) and then we'll be back to normal schedule.
> 
> As always, thanks so much for reading! Feedback and encouragement on this has been my hugest source of motivation, and I'm super grateful for everyone who's taken the time to tell me what they think of this!
> 
> If you like this, remember to check out the discord for Cornucopia of Hope! You'll get insights as to the art, design decisions, etc, and get to talk to other people about the fangan! Join here: https://discord.gg/wkNfNKd


	15. Dossier Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji takes the time to see what information the Host has gathered him himself and his fellow prisoners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this took longer than I expected it to! I've been kinda blindsided by some irl stuff, so I haven't gotten around to compiling all of this and formatting it in an acceptable way.

_The folders are spread out on my desk in my room, arranged in alphabetical order already. I take a deep breath before opening the first one._

 

> **Name:**  Aika Akiyama  
>  **Title:**  Paranormal Psychologist
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  160 cm | 5'3"  
>  **Weight:**  63 kg | 140 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Lace
>   * Cigarettes
>   * Watercolor paints
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Rats
>   * Mixed drinks
>   * Leather
> 

> 
> Aika Akiyama is well known within the scientific community, under the full umbrella containing pseudo science and the real stuff. While the details of her studies are swathed in the deep mist of confidentiality agreements, this teenage scientist is notable for having the best results for supernatural behavior presented in normal people.
> 
> With both her private life deemed unworthy of comment in the face of the drastic 30% increase in ESP abilities in the adults (ages 18-45) present in her most famous case study and the study itself being under strict non-disclosure agreements, little about what made her famous is known other than the fact that she  _is_  famous and she  _does_  get results.
> 
> Countless articles have been published panning her as a fake scientist, a hoaxer, and a con artist using the money she’s been granted for nefarious means. “Real, decent” scientists hate her, and hate what her studies seem to imply about human potential. She’s been called irresponsible, encouraging children to jump off houses to see if they can fly, and been called a number of less professional things as well.
> 
> In every interview in which her credentials are called into question, particularly in relation to her age, she appears calm and collected, though commonly called “a little weird.” Her pursuit of casual gothic fashions has been called unprofessional, and many have called her a disgrace to her science.
> 
> However, many paranormal enthusiasts have her to thank for the uptick in faith in the supernatural in recent years. Due to her studies providing so-called “proof” that ESP can exist in humans, more and more people are willing to suspend their disbelief when supposed paranormalities occur in the daily.
> 
> Whether or not her studies are proven to be valid and well documented in time fails to matter in the face of her public recognition and the outpouring of grant money from curious and hopeful individuals. It is undoubtedly because of this that Hope’s Peak Academy has extended an invitation to the quirky psychologist.

_This actually answers a lot of questions about her ability and skillset._

 

> **Name:**  Alena Agyros  
>  **Title:**  Urban Gardener
> 
> **Age:**  17  
>  **Height:**  167 cm | 5'6"  
>  **Weight:**  64 kg | 143 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Cooking
>   * Singing
>   * Fruit
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Attention
>   * Landlords
>   * Loud noises
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Alena Agyros is known world-wide as the person who made poverty more bearable. Having gotten her start in Los Angeles, she innovated ways to increase sustainable production of vegetables in the small urban spaces she had available to her. While she allegedly started in a community garden with the aid of others, given that her family was made up of poor immigrants, she began turning her green thumb to those closest to her.
> 
> In a 2 bedroom apartment shared by 5 people with a small balcony, she started out growing tomatoes and basil–barely enough for a good pizza, but enough to help with the groceries. After a few months, she began growing spinach, onions, eggplant and garlic on the balcony. With so much cut down on groceries, finally the family could start saving money. While they were by no means rich as a result of Alena’s actions, she was able to take the sharp edge off of hunger for the family.
> 
> From there, she was volunteered for other community gardens by her parents. She began teaching community gardening classes at twelve years old, with an emphasis on sustainability and conservation of space, and while her teaching style is often described as “odd” in reviews, the classes blew up in popularity.
> 
> Detractors say that her popularity is driven by cute-factor, given that she was just a child when she started out, but it’s hard to argue with the results. In the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, small-scale sustainable vegetable gardens have cropped up everywhere. While some areas have tried to pass ordinances to make it illegal, it’s been overwhelmingly met with appreciation from the lower classes and disadvantaged people in the city.
> 
> When she was 14 years old, Alena and her mother were interviewed by NPR on Alena’s so-called revolutionary methods for at-home farming, and her story went international. Her mother explained that, while her daughter was often “on the shy side” and “a little quieter than her friends,” her love for the plants was unparalleled. It was care and attention that helped the gardens flourish, so “for everyone listening at home, you just need to make sure this is a labor of love, that’s what Alena does.”
> 
> After that interview, Alena’s family was invited by a city planner in Tottori, Japan to come visit the city and offer some insights into small-scale arid agriculture, which is when she made it big on the world-stage.
> 
> Discovering that cities in Japan have such a high population density, Alena took her work to Tokyo soon afterwards, and continued her work to aid the poor in the never ending battle against starvation and poverty. Learning Japanese, learning the new meteorological conditions, and acclimating to an entirely new country would not stop her on her quest to feed the world, it seems.
> 
> Her dedication to her craft has gotten her an invitation to Hope’s Peak Academy, though still few know Alena Agyros personally, many are enthusiastic about her work and are ready to see her debut as an adult with the skills that the Academy provides.

_I think of the book I have stowed in my shoulder bag. I wish I weren't learning so much about her in this way._

 

> **Name:**  Bo Moreau  
>  **Title:**  Ufologist
> 
> **Age:**  17  
>  **Height:**  150 cm | 5'2"  
>  **Weight:**  72 kg | 160 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Parkour
>   * Piano music
>   * Movies
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Law enforcement
>   * Non-believers
>   * Holidays
> 

> 
> Public Knowledge:  
>  Bo Moreau has made a splash in the world of both documentarians and conspiracy theorists alike. Reportedly trying to “get back to where [they] belong,” Mx Moreau has devoted their life in the past decade to documenting and studying all UFO sightings and reports they can gain access to. While this in itself isn’t very notable, the success of the 6 documentaries and television show they’ve made while in this pursuit is definitely worth paying attention to.
> 
> At 9 years old, Bo reportedly broke into the Toulouse Space Center in Paris to try to locate the files on the abductions and/or sightings in the country that had been reported just that year. In later interviews, Bo reflected on the event with nostalgia: “As a lost-looking kid with a determined face, I just kept telling them I was trying to find my mom, and I knew she worked there. I got a lot of info from the internet, so it was easy to tell them what office she worked in and get some help getting in. [Laughter] Nobody expects a nine year old to break into CNES!”
> 
> As a minor, they were not prosecuted for this crime, but it was far from the last time Bo was faced with breaking and entry charges. In their peerless quest for knowledge, Bo has broken into approximately 30 private properties, only 5 of which have been government owned. While the particulars have not been released to the public, it’s been speculated that the reason Bo has not been treated to any disciplinary action is because they have high up connections with the governments of most nations.
> 
> Such speculation is dismissed by Bo and the camera crew they have accrued over the years, but Bo is determined to let one thing be known about them: They’re not from “here.” They insist that this work is close to their heart because they’re trying to contact their “real” family, which allegedly resides someplace beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Their skills in weaseling into private properties and evading arrest and prosecution lead many people to think about believing them.
> 
> Their first “documentary” was clumsy and childish, with a lot of weak camera shots pointing to the sky as they spoke animatedly in French about how this was where they belonged, but by their third documentary, they seemed to have come across like-minded people with the skills and money to follow Bo’s vision. The films stopped focusing on Bo, and started focusing on others like them. Anyone who had an experience worth documenting got an interview from a somber faced teenager in a bright green jacket. Anyone with any scientific interest in extra-terrestrials or their crafts was consulted for opinions.
> 
> Bo would do anything to get an interview, including break in or lie. They’d insist this was for a school project, they’d tell people that this was a gift for their mother, they’d say anything to get in and get a conversation started.
> 
> As the years passed and Bo traveled to more and more countries and did documentaries in each of them, the focus of the films shifted from proving that aliens were real and out there to simply studying and offering information on UFOs, sightings, and abductions. It was no longer a frantic means of providing validity to Bo’s claims of otherness, it was now a thoughtful and respectful catalogue of truths (as far as they and their fans are concerned). Due to the popularity and success of the documentaries, Bo was eventually offered a deal to do an international TV show on the Travel Channel, trying to boost tourism in certain areas.
> 
> Bo has spent the last 3 years in and out of Japan as a result, studying UFOs on their show and in their private life, gaining fans and enemies alike as they publish their research.

_The sheer length of this one surprises me. I had expected Bo to be a more...secretive type, I guess. Despite their flamboyant personality, with a claim that they're an alien, I wouldn't have expected so much of their life to be publicized._

 

> **Name:**  Fumi Kaimi  
>  **Title:**  Letter Writer
> 
> **Age:**  19  
>  **Height:**  158 cm | 5'2"  
>  **Weight:**  95 kg | 210 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Children
>   * Chocolates
>   * Romance novels
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Cellphones
>   * Rain
>   * Fast Food
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Fumi Kaimi is difficult to find via a cursory search on the internet, but her work has impacted lives all over Japan. While little is known about her personal life, as she notably prefers to have a private life separate from her work, information about the infamous letter writer Sakura Blush is easily accessible. It was only after her invitation to Hope’s Peak Academy that Sakura Blush’s identity was revealed, and thus, exposed as Fumi Kaimi.
> 
> In a day and age in which a handwritten letter is the sort of thing that people only do with great intention, it often occurs to people as a way to detail their feelings in an intimate way that doesn’t necessitate speaking in person. However, just because somebody wishes to make their feelings clear doesn’t mean they have the words required to say such important things in a charming or beautiful way. It’s for these people that Sakura Blush’s letter writing services exist.
> 
> Gifted with a romantic streak and a love for literature and the Japanese language, Sakura Blush can be hired on commission to write a letter to whomever your heart desires, on almost any subject matter. While initially her services were primarily love notes and confessions, she’s since branched out to any kind of letter from discussing the weather and events in one’s life to difficult break ups. She offers her expertise for anyone who lacks the words for it–whether that comes from illiteracy or simply not knowing what to say–without any judgement or complaint at a very reasonable fee.
> 
> She began in near-anonymity, naturally not wishing the recipients of her letters to know that they were written by a third party, but given the success of her business model, more and more people began to spread word and find her website and twitter and contact her looking for help. Discovering that she can mimic handwriting and tone at a moment’s notice, her professional and sweet demeanor, and her ability to write so quickly all added up and she became intensely popular.
> 
> There’s been some backlash online due to her work, however. Receiving a letter now comes with the worry that perhaps your beloved didn’t write this at all, and that a third party has been paid to learn your deepest and most intimate relationship details. While her invitation to Hope’s Peak Academy was issued at the height of her career, it has been in some reasonable decline due to these fears.

_Roxxy's synopsis of Fumi's talents wasn't quite this thorough, so part of me appreciates the clarification._

 

> **Name:**  Heiji Kaimi  
>  **Title:**  Surfer
> 
> **Age:**  19  
>  **Weight:**  85 kg | 189 lbs  
>  **Height:**  177 cm | 5'10"
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Barbecue
>   * Crabs
>   * Interviews
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Forgetting Sunscreen
>   * Litter
>   * Cellphones
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Heiji Kaimi has, in recent years, become one of the peak attractions in Chiba, Japan. People have always come from all over the world to appreciate Chiba’s waves, but now people come to appreciate someone among those same waves.
> 
> The Kaimifamily has been known as benefactors and friends in Chiba for generations, most recently notable for owning and running the quaint yet popular surf shop known as  _WIPE OUT!!_. Makoto Kaimi, Heiji’s father, back in the day was the name on everybody’s lips with regards to the most famous and beautiful surfers around, but since his injury in his youth, he’s been running the shop, telling stories, and giving rudimentary surf lessons to anyone who’ll ask him. According to local newspapers and gossips, it surprised absolutely no one when his only son took after his passions.
> 
> From a young age, Heiji has been out in the waves. Despite having a surf instructor as a father and a life guard as a mother, however, at the age of seven, Heiji was caught in an undertow and dragged deep into the ocean while attempting to surf. He was rescued, of course, but the event lives in his memory as the day his life changed. He went, from all reports, from a reasonably precocious child with a deep love for splashing around in the sea to a driven child with a passion for surfing and the ocean.
> 
> Heiji once described the event as “the closest thing [he] ever got to really being one with the waves.” He devoted himself to the art and sport of surfing so he could feel that feeling once again, and his enthusiasm drew supporters.
> 
> As he got older, his very presence at surfing competitions would draw a larger crowd. He’s known as the Hunk of Chiba–which is certainly saying something considering the beach bunny demographic. On the waves, he’s known to be focused and driven, incapable of defeat. On the shore, he’s goofy and charming and prone to telling long, meandering stories.
> 
> After four consecutive Ichinomiya Chiba Open wins, Heiji was invited to Hope’s Peak Academy.

_Goofy is right. He doesn't deserve to be stuck in a place like this. None of us do, I guess._

 

> **Name:**  Isei Soga  
>  **Title:**  Biographer
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  182 cm | 6'0"  
>  **Weight:**  77 kg | 170 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Documentaries
>   * Pachinko
>   * Graffiti
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Public Speaking
>   * Pushovers
>   * Teacher’s Pets
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**
> 
> Isei Soga’s face has been in the window of every bookstore worth its salt for the past two years. His fame comes from his compassion in dealing with crime. Biographies detailing the lives of famous and infamous criminals across Japan have touched the hearts of the public as he seeks not to vilify or condone the crimes of his subjects, but to understand the circumstances leading up to them.
> 
> His books are popular among true crime fans and housewives alike due to his gentle tone and charming interview excerpts. With his books, he publicly seeks to reform society. “If the causes of crime are clearly based on cultural issues, then if we abolish those issues, we may abolish crime altogether,” he famously said in an interview for The Japan Times.
> 
> These remarks have been met with some controversy. Detractors insist he would have all criminals freed and loves criminals more than law abiding citizens. They ask why he only depicts criminals in his biographies, rather than good people who contribute to the community. They say he’s a bad example for children.
> 
> However, this controversy in addition to his many, many fans has lead to his books to remain on the Best Seller lists for months at a time, attracting much attention from publishers and Hope’s Peak Academy alike.

_Dislikes public speaking is right. I wonder how right his theories are. Was the motive of money at fault, or Masanori?_

_...I'm going to continue blaming The Fey on this one._

 

> **Name:**  Kata Ama  
>  **Title:**  Otome Game Developer
> 
> **Age:**  19  
>  **Height:**  167 cm | 5'6"  
>  **Weight:**  70 kg | 155 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Spiders
>   * Jewelry
>   * Reading
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Talking
>   * PDA
>   * Romantic movies/shows/books
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Kata Ama Otome Games are a brand that have entered into mainstream video game knowledge more than any previous otome game brand in the history of the genre. Beginning with  _Blush Crush_ , a simple game published on steam made with limited tools and fairly basic programming, Kata Ama has become known for the most technologically sophisticated dating simulation games of all time.
> 
> While  _Blush Crush_  was simple to a fault, even Kata Ama’s first game received acclaim within the otome gaming community. The writing had nuance that was appreciated, particularly in games of the free-to-play persuasion, and each character was wildly popular with those who played the game. The game became a classic recommendation to people just starting out in playing the genre, known for its beautiful writing and true appeal to women.
> 
> Kata Ama’s second game was met with much, much more acclaim however. With lovely art to match the writing and the programming approaching a level of simplicity as to be considered ‘graceful,’  _Sweet Circuit_  was one of the best selling otome games in the summer that it was released.
> 
> For three years running, every six months a new Kata Ama Otome Game was released, and each was reputedly better than the last. The games went from a more classic visual novel style game (typical for the genre) and developed into complex technologically astounding games in which the player had to identify body language and subtle clues from the potential love interests to determine whether or not the character was interested in the player. The subtlety to the movements, the advanced AI, and the beautiful graphics lead to Kata Ama’s games being considered “real” games by people who did not typically play otome games.
> 
> As the time gaps between the games grew, so did the quality.
> 
> _Never Forget Me!!_ , one of his more recent games, has been recommended to many people who don’t even play video games at all. It’s being used in some circles as a tool to help people learn common body language signs, and to learn flirting signals from others. The game includes such nuances as being “gently let down,” and “negged.” So called ‘correct’ responses in the game can be used in real life, according to many positive reviews, and the games can genuinely benefit those who are a little socially awkward.
> 
> Outside of the genre, the games are considered programmatically stunning, with accolades offered to the art, writing, and direction of each game.

_This matches up with what I'd heard of his games. Still, there's no information about him as a person at all..._

 

> **Name:**  Katherine Ueda  
>  **Title:**  Child Star
> 
> **Age:**  19  
>  **Height:**  200 cm | 6'7"  
>  **Weight:**  80 kg | 178 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Makeup
>   * Snow
>   * EDM
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Heat
>   * Sweets
>   * Comments on her height
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Well known as the daughter of former power couple Eiko Ueda (known most famously for her roles as Hana in  _Lollipop Sunrise_ , Rinko in  _Geronimo!!!_ , and Sandra in the American film  _Blushing Sun Rising_ ) and Latino-American director Cain Kowl ( _Gravely Beautiful, Lessons in Crying,_  and notably  _Blushing Sun Rising_ ), Katherine Kowl-Ueda began to make a name for herself as early as six years old.
> 
> Her career began as a purely American one, starring in movies directed by her father or friends of her father, but the family connections didn’t negate her genuine talent and pure cute-factor present in all of her roles. Her first movie,  _The Christmas Keeper,_  was a heartwarming holiday film that went won multiple awards for the set integrity that had a very profitable fifteen minutes in the spotlight. She was a minor role, the daughter of a secondary character, but most reviews noted her as one of the most heartwarming parts of the film.
> 
> Rather than stagnating there as a purely holiday star, Katherine was soon cast in  _Thank You, Doctor_  which was a breakout horror film. The restricted budget allowed the actors and actresses to shine in their respective roles. Katherine served as a main character this time, and her cute-creepy vibes went over famously–she won Best Child Actor, and her career really began to grow.
> 
> She spent the next few years in a variety of genres, but she’s most notable in both the holiday and horror genres, keeping to her roots, as it seems. Other than a small child modeling gig after the movie  _Little Miss Snowie_  won awards for the costuming, she’s kept entirely to acting.
> 
> After hitting puberty, however, her mother and father had a huge and dramatic divorce, and Katherine moved to Japan with her mother, dropping her father’s name from hers. She was able to get small roles in television shows there, but her mother’s career was tanking, and so, it seemed, has Katherine’s.
> 
> While she’s been the second choice for a variety of films, Katherine hasn’t been in a movie in the last five years, and she’s hardly a recognizable face anymore. It seems she’s mostly dropped off the map, but her success as a child is definitely noteworthy. While she’s less known in Japan, her movies have made an international impact, and most people will remember her movies from when they were younger.

_I remember some of her movies, but not clearly. My family was never one for watching a movie all together, anyway. It's odd to me that she should still get into Hope's Peak on a waning career..._

 

> **Name:**  Kyo Katayama  
>  **Title:**  Charity Organizer
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  177 cm | 5'10”  
>  **Weight:**  63 kg | 140 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Travel
>   * Math
>   * Sailing
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Low thread-count sheets
>   * Carpet
>   * Speeding tickets
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  The Katayama family is legendary as one of the richest, old money families in Japan. Through all the various wars and conquering of the country, the Katayamas have always come out on top. Poverty isn’t a word in their vocabulary, unless it’s sarcastic, but you’d honestly have to be fairly wealthy yourself to know about this family. They keep very particular company, and go to great lengths to keep their name out of the mouths of those less fortunate.
> 
> Kyo is an exception to this rule. Kyo is known as one of the most generous people on the entire planet, and for good reason. They made their newspaper debut as a twelve year old, having rescued a classmate from dangerous ocean waters on a field trip, and were lauded as a hero. Rather than letting this newfound fame and popularity get to their head, however, they immediately turned it around and tried to come up with a way that this notoriety could be useful to the entire world.
> 
> A party was thrown, not six months after their status as a hero was cemented. This party put Kyo back in the headlines once more. Assisted by the very girl they’d plucked from the sea, this party was the type you had to pay to get into, and all of their wealthy classmates were invited. The equivalent to $50 a plate was charged, which was met with some grumbling from parents, but every kid wanted to get into a Katayama dinner party. Kyo announced to anyone who would listen that this money was going to a charity they had discovered that helped teach lower-income children some basic survival skills–ie, building fires, first aid, and swimming. They thought that since their new best friend could have benefitted from it, so could everyone!
> 
> The party was a huge success, and was reported on by several local newspapers. The story got picked up by a major news network, and the heart warming story spread. Kyo used this momentum to keep throwing parties as they grew older, and now a year in Tokyo simply wouldn’t be the same without a Kyo Katayama Charity Gala.
> 
> A Gala is thrown every six months at various locations (usually Katayama properties, but several restaurants, hotels, and resorts have offered up their premises in exchange for nothing but contribution to the good causes–and exposure), with only the richest and most upper crust of society able to pay for entrance. Given that these parties were quickly made into a status symbol–anybody who’s somebody  _had_  to be there–the funds they accrue are nothing to sneeze at.
> 
> Through nothing but excellent money management, charm, and dedication, Kyo Katayama has been able to give enough funding to provide a foundation for the preservation of black bears was founded in Kyushu and drastically reduced the number of dead bears in Japan, for one thing. They were able to make significant strides in AIDS research, in providing meals for impoverished children, in establishing centers for homeless women to live and have access to menstrual products, and many more.
> 
> Kyo Katayama is one of the most notable humanitarians in the world, and they insist that their work is not done yet!

_It doesn't surprise me that there's so much information about Kyo. Their dossier is the thickest, but they're also the most public figure here._

 

> **Name:**  Masanori Nishimuraya  
>  **Title:**  Fashion Designer
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  5'10"  
>  **Weight:**  92 kg | 220 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Synthetic fabric
>   * Cute thimbles
>   * His mom
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Handsome men
>   * Himself
>   * Rich people
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Masanori Nishimuraya’s designs are well known in the fashion world as the logical conclusion for high fashion. With noted influences like Junya Watanabe and Yohji Yamamoto, the Nishimuraya brand has grown to near-mainstream success. His designs are referred to as “ground-breaking,” “revolutionary,” and “pretty f*cking weird, emphasis on pretty,” by customers and costumers alike.
> 
> Masanori got his start while still living in Osaka, working from home on borderline avant-garde designs in his sketchbook until he could go to school and access the sewing machines in the home-ec classrooms. Reportedly, the designer grew up poor and this was the only way for him to vent his creativity. As a ten year old, he caught wind of a design competition for an upcoming science fiction film, and after a brief period of daydreaming about winning and the renown that would follow, he set to work.
> 
> He and 14 other designers had their designs selected and were displayed on the big screen on humans and aliens alike in CHAMELEON: TOWNSHIP OF A HUNDRED STARS. While the film itself was panned for how cheesy it was, it won several awards for innovative design, and Masanori got a check for the equivalent of $300 for his work.
> 
> After that, his career only continued to grow. He began participating in design competitions and offering up commissions left and right, and the more he won, the more his name became well-known and more people wished to wear his designs, as wacky as they are.
> 
> The peak of his career is as dramatic as his initiation; during a televised design competition in Tokyo when Masanori was 15 years old, a competitor won first place with a design stolen from Masanori’s sketchbook. While the details were unclear, as soon as the prize was declared, the real designer stood in front of all of the cameras and declared his opponent a liar and a cheat, showing the pages ripped from his sketchbook. The alleged first place winner, however, claimed that Masanori was the thief all long.
> 
> Viewers across the nation baited their breaths waiting for the investigation that followed to reach a conclusion, and ultimately Masanori was proven in the right. The public outcry that he should be treated so unfairly by the competition resulted in young Masanori drowning in commission orders. He completed designs worn by celebrities across the world; anyone wishing to be avant-garde or cutting edge in their fashion would give him a call.
> 
> Some well known examples of his work have been featured in the Museum of Popular Culture in Seattle, Washington, at the infamous annual Katayama Costume Gala, at the Met Gala, and in high fashion shows across the world. His acceptance to Hope’s Peak Academy came at no surprise to anyone following his career.
> 
> However, information past his early life and career is sparse at best. In interviews, Masanori Nishimuraya poorly represents his brand and is notoriously foul-mouthed and unpleasant to deal with. As a result, he is not interviewed often, and little about his day-to-day operation is known.

_I feel a twinge in my chest as I read about Masanori's career. I guess it never came up much, in the time that I knew him. The last few lines make me laugh, regardless, and I ignore the guilt that I feel. He really was mean, wasn't he?_

 

> **Name:**  Miki Dan  
>  **Title:**  Yoyoer
> 
> **Age:**  19  
>  **Height:**  152 cm | 5'0"  
>  **Weight:**  49 kg | 110 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Thrift Shopping
>   * Attention
>   * Physics
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Closed off spaces
>   * Charity
>   * Sweets
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Miki Dan has been at the forefront of professional yoyoing for years now, and with their recent  championship at the International Yoyoing Federation, it comes as no surprise that they should be invited to Hope’s Peak Academy! However, unless you really pay attention to yoyoing news, not much about the championship or what it took to earn it is public knowledge. If it weren’t for Miki’s other exploits, there might not even be a wikipedia page about them. Still, Miki Dan has gathered attention from more than just HPA–they’re a certified meme.  
>    
>  Videos of Miki’s yoyoing performances in Harajuku have been popular on the internet for some time, but they really only came into the spotlight in recent years after a video of them knocking a police officer’s hat off with a yoyo before sprinting away from retribution went viral. This video has been all over facebook, youtube, vine, and twitter with attempted recreations all over the world.
> 
> While the viral nature of the video has definitely contributed to their meme status, the meme itself is a still from the video that has been altered and labeled by a hundred different people for humorous effect. The image is taken from the exact moment Miki’s yoyo made contact with the police officer’s hat, and it usually is edited as follows: each aspect of the picture (Miki themself, their yoyo, the police officer, and his hat) are labeled accordingly to make a joke. The first example of this is a simple nihilistic meme popular among young people world wide, the gist of it being that the police officer is labeled “me,” representing the creator of the meme, his hat is labeled “my good mood,” their yoyo is labeled “mental illness,” and Miki is labeled with the year the meme was made. The point being, of course, that Miki (20xx) is using the yoyo (the presumed mental illness of the creator of the meme) to knock down the officer’s hat (the good mood of the creator).
> 
> It’s been edited time and time again for various effects, political commentary, and decreasingly funny jokes.
> 
> Miki has used this status as a meme to promote their brand name Stylish™ Yoyo. While yoyoing will never entertain the mainstream popularity some might wish for it, their commercials have aired on television and the internet alike, and there was briefly a period where people would attempt to freeze-frame their ads and make new, spinoff memes based on them. None of this would be too impressive, of course, if it weren’t for the record sales reported after the meme incident.
> 
> Regardless of the popularity of the sport, Miki Dan is a recognizable face to anyone who keeps up with social media, and the money they’ve reported making from yoyo sales alone is nothing to sneeze at! Still, fairly little is known about them outside of their meme status.

_Somehow it makes me feel better knowing that whoever trapped us here had to go through the effort of studying and documenting a meme. It's what they deserve._

 

> **Name:**  Noriko Noro  
>  **Title:**  Knight
> 
> **Age:**  19  
>  **Height:**  177 cm | 5'10"  
>  **Weight:**  68 kg | 150 lbs
> 
> **Likes** :
> 
>   * Tea
>   * Riddles
>   * Children
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Cigarettes
>   * Morally grey stories
>   * Injustice in any form
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**
> 
> Noriko “Kaihime” Noro is well known for her stunning and convincing performances at renaissance faires across Japan. Having taken the name Kaihime, inspired by the warrior woman from Japanese folklore, Noriko Noro has inspired countless children and adults throughout the nation. She is the modern day knight, archetypal and strong in her every motion. She is notable for her skills including (but not limited to): jousting, dressage, swordplay, riddle solving, and improvisational acting. Her ability to never break character, especially when dealing with children, has won her the hearts of every renaissance fan around. 
> 
> More impressive, perhaps, than her incredible acting ability is the fact that she is the only Japanese renaissance performer who can claim to be the real-life version of her role. Noriko Noro has not only dedicated her life to chivalry and all things knightly; she was properly knighted by a small, relatively unknown religion called “The Faith of Two” at age 16.
> 
> In interviews, she has claimed that she works to inspire faith–any faith–in every audience she performs for. She has been quoted, saying, “I don’t care if the only faith I inspire in you is the faith that knights are still there, and here to protect you. That is plenty for me, gods or no gods.” Her frank speech regarding her religion has won her popularity with both secular and non-secular groups, each praising her for her ability to speak clearly and without intention to convert or degrade any religion.
> 
> Her emphasis on inspiration has no doubt stemmed from her troubled youth. Noriko Noro has been hesitant to talk about her past, but with the intention of shedding light on her life and in the hopes of encouraging children from similar situations, she opened up about her life in the welfare system, going from foster home to foster home her entire life. She talked at length about how her faith allowed her to find a true family she could pledge fealty to, and how important a found family is.
> 
> Her greatest mentor, she has said, is the costume designer who gave her her first set of armor. Nori Nishiyama is credited with Noriko Noro’s rise to fame, and said to be better than a mother to the young knight. Noriko inspires the belief that anyone can find a family, even if their true family isn’t there anymore–a slightly controversial belief in Japan.
> 
> Her popularity and controversy has made her the darling of historical reenactment and family groups, and a topic of much discussion. It is no doubt this, in addition to the fact that her name listed on a performer’s list is enough to improve ticket sales by a full 50%, that lead to Hope’s Peak Academy choosing her to be among their ranks.

_I think of what Noriko said to me last. It's our responsibility to protect people. I feel like I should ask her about her faith sometime..._

 

> **Name:**  Pi'Lani Ozaki  
>  **Title:**  Solar Technician
> 
> **Age:**  16  
>  **Height:** 143 cm | 4'7"  
>  **Weight:**  55 kgs | 123 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Swimming
>   * Zen coloring books
>   * Bugs
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Darkness
>   * Sitting around
>   * Corporate pollution
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**
> 
> Pi'Lani Ozaki was not notable until fairly recently, although the Ozaki family has been well known for decades now. Long ago they were known as Japanese oil barons, but in recent years the Ozaki family name has become associated with a pair of environmentalists out in Hawaii working on preserving the coral reefs in the area.
> 
> However, after a nuclear power plant melted down in Japan, the son of the two environmentalists flew out immediately to help restabilize the Japanese power grid. This act of heroism drummed up quite a bit of public interest, and his decision to stay to continue to help get Japan on track for solar energy has kept him in the spotlight.
> 
> Staying with his oil baron grandparents, their private feud over environmentalism has become public. As the younger Ozaki travels between small towns, installing solar panels in public areas for free, politicians have had notably mixed feelings on this teenager.
> 
> Small town opinions are positive, but those who rely on the practicality and stability of nuclear power have been campaigning against this outsider coming in and trying to change the ways of Japan. Among his detractors are his grandparents, who have publicly called him a disgrace to the family.
> 
> This doesn’t seem to have stopped his popularity rising, and the controversy around whether his methods are right or wrong has definitely contributed to the media attention on the boy. There’s no doubt that this controversy has helped gain Hope’s Peak’s attention, and perhaps had a hand in his invitation there.

_So little? I guess his work is more notable for his work and less about who he is. I guess I can relate to the feeling of being called a family disgrace._

 

> **Name:**  「 Pure Virtual 」  
>  **Title:**  Vaporwave Artist
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  175 cm | 5'9"  
>  **Weight:**  59 kg | 130 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Wine
>   * Math
>   * Linguistics
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Politicians
>   * Dirt
>   * Gardening
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Élodie Dumortier, called 「 Pure Virtual 」 by their fans, is well known both within and outside vaporwave communities on the internet. Prior to their unfortunate identity release upon their acceptance to Hope’s Peak Academy in Japan, the artist known only as 「 Pure Virtual 」 made splashes across multiple platforms. While they got her start on Soundcloud, as most vaporwave artists do, their music has been featured on radio stations globally, from niche EDM stations to stations with more of an emphasis on the mainstream as her popularity grew.
> 
> Little about 「 Pure Virtual 」 was known until recently, as the elusive artist has maintained an emphasis on her music being more representative of their true self than any name, gender, age, or location could hope to be. Most articles about 「 Pure Virtual 」 have opted for they/them pronouns to describe the artist as any indication of gender has been hidden until the recent revelation of her real, allegedly feminine birth name prompting an uptick in articles featuring she/her pronouns to describe them.
> 
> What’s known about 「 Pure Virtual 」 is as follows: they have been a part of the vaporwave movement since its incubation, they have an uncanny habit for being a trend starter in the community, their debut album remains the second most played vaporwave album of all time (only beaten by Macintosh Plus’s album Floral Shoppe), their music features languages from all over the world, and they’ve become popular to the point that they were briefly shunned by other vaporwave artists for having reached mainstream. After this temporary dive in popularity, they came out with 1398 E M O T I O N ライフサイン. The album is partially chopped up 80s tracks, partially completely original content, and allegedly tells a story about the death of the universe through love.
> 
> The following surge in popularity is what resulted in 「 Pure Virtual 」’s invitation to HPA, which in turn resulted in the revelation of their true identity as Élodie Dumortier, a French politician’s child currently studying abroad in Japan. The buzz surrounding their true identity has only proved to be more and more profitable as their music continues to get more hits, though it’s theorized that they may quit the music scene now that their information is public.

_Harsh. Building up a whole virtual identity just to have the cat let out of the bag instantly upon getting recognized? Damn._

 

> **Name:**  Roxxanne Rose  
>  **Title:**  Stage Magician
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  180 cm | 5'11"  
>  **Weight:**  79 kg | 175 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Glitter
>   * Girls
>   * Choreography
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Sitting still
>   * Reading
>   * Rain
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Roxxanne “Roxxy” Rose has taken the Japanese entertainment industry by storm in recent years. After four world tours in as many years, she’s finally returned to Japan and the critics are RAVING! With tickets to her act averaging at $400, the theatres are still packed, and nobody has been this excited about a magic show in decades! Critics don’t know what her secret ingredient is: is it the glitter? The fireworks? Or just the legions of cute assistants she has on call!? No matter, it’s clear to everyone that Roxxanne Rose is incredibly successful.
> 
> Detractors have claimed that Roxxanne’s sleight of hand is weak, that her show is full of razzle dazzle and little else, that she has bought her way to success, but the ticket sales speak for themselves. Magic is now in the public consciousness more than it ever has been before; little kids are now wanting to become magicians at a higher rate than movie stars or princesses. Now more than ever are people attempting to learn magic, as it’s been proven that it’s a lucrative way of life after all. Roxxy serves as an inspiration to a generation, and validation to any magicians older than herself.
> 
> After having been a cameo on hit American TV shows like  _iZombie_ ,  _CSI_ ,  _Dancing with the Stars_ , and  _Supernatural_ , she was interviewed countless times and proved herself to be an entertainer on and off the stage. Excitable, friendly, and always willing to praise the people she works with, fan opinion of her soars.  
>    
>  Much of her background is obscured by the fact that the rising star refuses to relay her actual name, relying on her westernized stage name to provide some anonymity. In interviews she has stated that “the only thing [she] lacks is a rags to riches story” so it is theorized that she comes from a wealthy background, and some of her most fervent fans have tried to draw family connections to some old-school Japanese magicians, but nothing has been commented on by Roxxanne or any of her various managers and assistants.
> 
> After winning her second Merlin award, she was invited to Hope’s Peak Academy, and her shows have been on hold since then. Her managers insist that she’ll return to the stage soon, and have already set up the appropriate websites for fans to preorder tickets to an upcoming show, the dates of which are to be announced.

_Part of me is reassured that there's nothing too personal here. If Roxxy, the loudest and friendliest person on the planet, is still afforded her privacy, then there's some hope about all of us._

 

> **Name:**  Yui Suzuki  
>  **Title:**  Personal Assistant
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  167 cm | 5'5"  
>  **Weight:**  88 kg | 195 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Spreadsheets
>   * Puzzles
>   * Riddles
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Oceans
>   * Fake smiles
>   * Hand-Me-Downs
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Yui Suzuki is from an unremarkable family, from an unremarkable neighborhood in Tokyo, with remarkable friends and intellect. As a child, her entire extended family got together and contributed enough money for her to attend a high class private school in a better neighborhood, attempting to ensure that she got the education she deserved.
> 
> It remains unknown whether or not the education at the private academy was worth the money, but the friends she made there definitely were. When she was twelve years old, Yui went on a field trip with her class to the beach. While the life guard’s attention was occupied, she began to get caught in a current and drown. She’d never been a strong swimmer, but before she could slip away entirely, Kyo Katayama dove in after her and saved her life.
> 
> Yui’s life would never remain the same after that day.
> 
> Despite not knowing anything about the world of the wealthy, she pitched in to help Kyo plan a dinner party in her honor, and found that her eidetic memory played a key role in keeping things on track. While her classmate and new friend despaired at the loss of notes their parent had left, Yui was able to recall them vividly and come to Kyo’s rescue, much as the other child had come to her own. A bond was created, and a passion was inspired.
> 
> For the next few years, Yui served as Kyo’s best friend and greatest confidante. More importantly, however, Yui picked up the skills required to become the most efficient and powerful personal assistant in Tokyo by the time she was 14 years old. While her memory played a key role in this, her soothing voice, brutal efficiency, and ability to simply see through clutter to solve problems as they occurred made her an invaluable asset.
> 
> At age 16, she parted ways with Kyo to use her skills elsewhere. She found a job with Eiko Ueda, the aging actress, and found that her usefulness to other people was…limited. She excelled in the role, but the role mostly seemed to comprise of fetching dry cleaning and ensuring no scheduling conflicts occurred. Of course, she had been doing that for the Katayama family as well, but also bigger, more beautiful challenges. After a period of six months, she left the Ueda family’s employ and returned to work for Kyo.
> 
> Yui won Executive Assistant of the Year three times consecutively, and has been the youngest person ever to win the award. It’s no doubt that she’s Hope’s Peak Academy material, especially to hear any of her employers sing her praises.

_Of course, just as I say some privacy was afforded, I read Yui's. Is it fair to say all these things about being unremarkable? Still...I'm glad to learn more about her._

_I've been saving the dossier with my name on it for last. My heart beats in my throat as I slide the folder over to me, wondering what I'll find. It can't be good, can it? But how bad could it be? Yui said that mine lacked information that the others had, but..._

 

> **Name:**  Shuji Saji
> 
> **Title:**  …?
> 
> **Age:**  18  
>  **Height:**  177 cm | 5'10"  
>  **Weight:**  77 kg | 170 lbs
> 
> **Likes:**
> 
>   * Dogs
>   * Being taught
>   * Optimism
> 

> 
> **Dislikes:**
> 
>   * Oversharing
>   * Losing
>   * Displays of wealth
> 

> 
> **Public Knowledge:**  
>  Who even is this guy? If you google him, you find some real estate broker with the same name, and that’s about it. Hmmm.

_Hmm_   _indeed. Who_ am _I? What am I doing here? Everyone else has loads of information, all publicly available from the sound of things, and yet..._

_Why am I the only one who lacks a presence?_

_I know I went to Hope's Peak Academy._

_I know I did._

_But why?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the length of this chapter, just cramming all of their public bios in there. 
> 
> Since it's been two weeks and this was supposed to be a one-week update schedule (at least for the dossiers) I'll try to post the next chapter by July 30th!


	16. Chapter Two: Patience (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Shuji's done reading the dossiers, he goes on a coin hunt and plays with the gacha machine a bit. Kyo wants to throw a wake for the dead students, but needs Shuji's help in preparation--Lani and Fumi help out as well. With the party getting set up, Shuji spends some time to try to cheer up some of the people who were really hit hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one! For the coin hunt, I really didn't go into a lot of description for where things are for a distinct purpose: when this is a game, I don't want people who've read this chapter already to already know where everything is! The coin hunt mechanic will be similar to canon games, so just assume they went around clicking on everything.

_I feel like I learned a lot, but there’s still a lot of questions left unanswered. There’s no information about me at all. Everything else on here could have been gleaned from a really thorough internet search, but when it comes to me…?_

_I remember going to Hope’s Peak Academy. I remember bits and pieces of the graduation ceremony, if I really focus. That means I attended. I must have been invited, for something. Some talent, some secret ability. I remember going to the school. I remember where I sat in the classroom, right next to…_

_I lost it. I don’t remember._

_I shake my head._

_I’m getting nowhere just thinking about it. I decide to leave my room and do something other than simply stew in my thoughts. Maybe I can go look for more of those coins._

_Not long after I leave my room, I run into Pure Virtual._

**SHUJI:** Hey! Done with the library already?

**PV:** Yeah, I came down for lunch. It’s a pretty cool room and all but…[Shrugs.] There’s no good music-making software on the computers, so I got bored. What are you doing?

_Definitely not finishing reading up on every person here! Cuz that would make me incredibly suspicious, especially since I’m the only one with an empty file!_

**SHUJI:** I’m doing perfectly normal, non-suspicious things. Why? What did you hear?

**PV:** _[Stares.]_ …

**SHUJI:** Um.

**PV:** _[Bursts into laughter]_ Ahaha...ahh...That was a good one, Shuji-san. Can I use that?

**SHUJI:** Use the...my joke?

**PV:** Yeah! I think it fits with my brand, if that makes any sense. Of course, if it doesn’t make sense, then that’s okay too. That’s also on-brand.

**SHUJI:** Sure, you can use it. Don’t come to me if people try to burn you at the stake for it, though.

**PV:** Hmm, good point. Though so far the only person to bring up classical witch hunting methods has been Dan-san, who I don’t believe is up to the challenge. Do you mean it when you say you wouldn’t protect me when it was your words that would’ve gotten me into trouble?

**SHUJI:** You seem like you’ve cheered up a bit since earlier.

**PV:** Ah...I have. I took your advice and cried, some. I’m sure my makeup tells the tale.

_It really doesn’t. It doesn’t seem to have budged since I last saw them, and it’s intentionally messy in the first place anyway._

**SHUJI:** I’m glad if it helped.

**PV:** As I said, you’ll make a fine ally.

**SHUJI:** Speaking of alliances, do you want to help me? I had an idea for a way to pass the time.

**PV:** _[Raises eyebrow.]_ Doing perfectly normal, non-suspicious things?

**SHUJI:** Yep!

**PV:** Alright. I’m in.

**SHUJI:** You don’t want to know what we’ll be doing?

**PV:** Nope. Lead on, friend.

_I dutifully lead them up the stairs to begin our Coin Hunt. If these things turn out to be totally worthless, at least I’ll have wasted a whole day without anyone dying. It sounds ideal to me._

_We start on the second floor of the main house, poking our noses in all sorts of places we wouldn’t usually touch. As we find coins and stuff them in our pockets, finding all sorts of neat easter eggs throughout the areas as well, we talk._

**PV:** Basically, the foundation of the music isn’t music at all. We’re moving towards a post-audio music genre!

**SHUJI:** Mmhm?

**PV:** The core of the genre itself is about aesthetic and general _feeling_ being more important than the sounds of the music or the meaning behind it.

**SHUJI:** I...see…

**PV:** The death of the auteur, but before the sounds have even been published. The artist must begin by acknowledging that their interpretation of their own music is already worthless, and throw the chaos of sound and color into the sea of the internet to just see what happens!

**SHUJI:** I’m going to be real with you, Virtual-san. I am clinging to this conversation by a thread. I don’t know what anything you just said means.

**PV:** _[Laughs.]_ I’m sorry. Do you ever listen to vaporwave, or any of its subsidiary genres?

**SHUJI:** I have, once or twice. You know, Floral Shoppe and 1398 Emotion, stuff like that.

**PV:** The latter was me, actually. I made it soon after I moved to Japan.

**SHUJI:** Really? That’s super cool. Isn’t it the second most listened to vaporwave, uh, anything?

**PV:** It is! Floral Shoppe is the classic beginner’s vaporwave as it serves as one of the first notable albums at all, but I am responsible personally for a rather distinct genre shift.

**SHUJI:** How did you get started on any of this?

**PV:** On...this? Vaporwave?

**SHUJI:** Yeah! You seem really knowledgeable, which...makes sense, since you’re Hope’s Peak alumni, but I wouldn’t even know where to start with learning how to make vaporwave.

**PV:** Ha, well, the first step is learning how to listen to it.

**SHUJI:** See? I don’t even know that much!

**PV:** As for how I got into the genre? Hmm. I suppose I spent a lot of time on the internet as a kid. That helped, as far as introductions go. I think, culturally, France has always encouraged the weird. That helped too.

**SHUJI:** Avant garde and all that?

**PV:** Exactly. There are lots of art movements that seek to unsettle and disturb the audience, that try very hard to be _off_ somehow, to force the viewer to really reckon with the art. Being upset by something establishes a firmer connection to it than you might think.

**SHUJI:** It makes sense. When something scares you, you tend to remember it. So when you see art that makes your skin crawl, you remember that too.

**PV:** Yes. The difference is, everyone who makes vaporwave thinks they’re the king of the universe.

**SHUJI:** Are you trying to tell me that avant garde performance artists don’t all think they’re the smartest person in the world?

**PV:** _[Snorts.]_ Perhaps you have a point. I liked the vaporwave community because everyone in it is an asshole. I don’t have to feel guilty about mocking assholes.

**SHUJI:** So you managed to create an entire genre shift in an artform...to tease them? That doesn’t sound right.

**PV:** It’s the most diluted version of the truth, at least. I’m also pretty good with languages and math, and both of those are necessary to create music. It was luck and spite that took me here.

_Luck and spite...I wonder how many other people here could say the same thing about their talents. How much of skill is just luck and persistence? Without memory of whatever it is I’m good at, I can’t really say._

_As we walk through the tunnel back from the garden (which was a jackpot, by the way), I find myself growing thoughtful about the nature of skill. For Pure Virtual, it was simply adding together other skills that their brain was wired for doing. Is everyone naturally skilled at something, and they just have to find it?_

**SHUJI:** How long did it take to get good?

**PV:** Hm?

**SHUJI:** Like, it can’t have just been completely natural, right?

**PV:** Oh, no. I’m very good at it, but it was several years before I really became notable. I spent most of my waking hours working on it. Even while I was at school I was writing down ideas I had for themes and patterns to be present in the music.

_So it takes some natural skill, and then spending a lot of time on it._

**SHUJI:** Is it worth it?

**PV:** Worth the time and effort, you mean?

_We cross into the foyer._

**SHUJI:** Yeah. All that time you could’ve spent doing something else. Was it worth it?

**PV:** I…

_They look troubled, now. Their brow furrows and they look aside, thinking deeply on this. I didn’t expect it to be such a deep question, actually._

**PV:** I don’t know. I suppose it remains yet to be seen.

**SHUJI:** Huh. Well, thanks for keeping me company on the coin hunt. You definitely gave me some food for thought, too.

**PV:** Likewise. I think I’ll be posing some of your questions to the others, if you don’t mind.

**SHUJI:** _[Smiling.]_ Jeez, this is the second thing you’ve asked to borrow.

**PV:** Vaporwave is all about recycling good ideas, after all.

**SHUJI:** You’ve got me there. Go ahead. Tell me if you learn anything cool about someone.

**PV:** I will. I’ll talk to you later, Shuji-san.

_They take off in the direction of the dining room. I can’t be sure, but I feel like Pure Virtual might someday be a real friend. They give off a superior air, but honestly that might just be a white person thing. It seems like they do try to be thoughtful, at least._

_Either way, my pockets are full of coins and it’s time to test the theory that these are for the gacha machine in the supply closet._

_This is my first time actually hanging out in the closet. I’ve passed by it and peeked in while others were investigating, but I never actually opened it up and stood in there. It’s a lot bigger than I expected; more like the size of any of our bedrooms than a closet. String lights follow the walls, illuminating the entire huge clusterfuck of an area._

_I can’t possibly parse all the nonsense that’s in here. I think I just saw a plastic flamingo and the cognitive dissonance is too much for me to handle, so I focus on the gacha machine._

**SHUJI:** Okay, here goes.

_One coin in, and one crank of the lever and I get…_

**KYO:** Heya, Shuji-chan!

_Distracted!_

**SHUJI:** Hey! You said you wanted to talk to me earlier, right?

**KYO:** I did! I was on my way to go check if you were in your room, but I found a bunch of coins so I wanted to spend ‘em.

**SHUJI:** I would’ve thought that the charity organizer would be more prudent with money.

**KYO:** _[Laughing.]_ Yeah, I usually am. But it’s not like this is legal tender. It’s like Chuck E Cheese money. No point in not spending it.

**SHUJI:** You’ve got me there. What did you want to talk about? Hopefully non murder related things. If you’re planning to kill someone please take it to someone else. Like maybe Noriko-san? She’d probably be good at resolving that.

**KYO:** You’re on edge today, huh? But I get the suspicion. At least I didn’t pass you an ominous note or something. Meet me at midnight, bring no weapons, mwah-hah-hah--

**SHUJI:** That evil laugh is way too good. Do you practice that?

**KYO:** Call it a party trick! Speaking of which…

_Kyo steps toward me, to the point where we’re almost touching. Their eyes lock with mine and I get the distinct sense I’m about to enter into a blood pact. I start sweating as I anticipate a knife coming out to cut my palm so we can shake hands on some devious agreement. This is somehow one of the most intense moments since I got brought to murder mansion._

**KYO:** Do you know how to make jello shots?

_Somehow what they actually say doesn’t dispel the terrifying vibe I’m getting here._

**SHUJI:** Uh. I bet I could figure it out?

**KYO:** Oh thank god.

_They deflate in relief, taking a step back. I finally let myself breathe._

**SHUJI:** Why do you need jello shots? If you’re using alcohol to cope I’m gonna recommend against it for health reasons but also please count me in.

**KYO:** _[Laughs.]_ It’s not for me! Well, not just for me… _[Frowns.]_ There’s been a big shift since...last night. Everyone is out on their own instead of sticking in groups, and people are miserable. We’re stressed, sad, and angry. Some of us are all of those things. We need a way to process this pain as a group.

**SHUJI:** So...jello shots?

**KYO:** Well, yeah! I’m not good at a lot of things, but I do know parties. If we have a wake, where we celebrate their lives and mourn their deaths, I think people might get a sense of closure, at least. I hope.

**SHUJI:** That sounds like a really good idea, Kyo-san.

**KYO:** Oh I’m so glad you think so! Would you be willing to help me?

**SHUJI:** Sure! Getting us all together as a group sounds nice, anyway. What do you need me to do? Or am I just on jello shot duty?

**KYO:** Well, we do need a cook. I’ve contracted some people to help out with set up--did you know Roxxy-chan is actually really knowledgeable about stage management and set up? I thought she was only a performer--Anyway! Yui will be working on some of the preparations as far as scheduling goes, while I manage the physical set up as best I can.

**SHUJI:** Party planning really is up your alley, isn’t it?

**KYO:** If it were up to me, parties would bring about world peace. Are we on for tomorrow?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, it sounds fun. What time do I need to report for duty?

**KYO:** Good question! Party prep will probably take most of the day, so just check in in the dining room after the morning announcement. If we decide we don’t need you yet, we’ll let you know.

**SHUJI:** Sounds good to me.

**KYO:** So…?

**SHUJI:** So...what?

**KYO:** What did you get? You have one of the gacha prizes in your hand, but you haven’t looked at it since I got here!

**SHUJI:** Oh! You’re right!

_I really did get distracted when they walked in. I take a look at what I got._

[Item Get! Glowsticks!]

_There’s a pair of them, the kind that are useless until you crack them, at which point they become a ticking clock. Still, not too bad as far as gacha game prizes go. I shrug and put them in my shoulder bag._

**KYO:** Nice! You could use those at the party if we figure out how to dim the lights!

**SHUJI:** Yeah! You should go next, you said you had coins too.

**KYO:** Right!

_Kyo inserts their coin, cranks the lever, and opens up the capsule with gusto. What comes out is...a plastic bag full of hair? We exchange a disgusted glance and ultimately shake our heads in sync._

**KYO:** I guess not everyone can be a winner, huh?

**SHUJI:** I just got lucky. You can have mine if you want it, really. For the party.

**KYO:** No way, you earned that. Hey! Maybe you’re Super High School Level Luck, right?

**SHUJI:** Hmm…

_I doubt it. Wouldn’t the lucky student have information on file, like the rest of them?_

**KYO:** Either way, maybe I can...figure out how this can be useful somehow…

**SHUJI:** Yeah. Definitely. You have fun with that.

**KYO:** I do like puzzles!

**SHUJI:** Solve the mystery of the bag of hair and maybe you’ll get a better prize!

**KYO:** You. Are a genius.

**SHUJI:** Yep. I’m so smart. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!

**KYO:** Yeah, see you then!

_If I’m cooking for a whole party, I’m gonna need sleep. I haven’t even asked if anyone has dietary restrictions, so far, since I was mostly just cooking for myself. It sounds like tomorrow will be a busy day._

* * *

 

**SHUJI:** So, um, I was thinking about dietary restrictions people might have. I should probably go around and ask people what they’re allergic to, or whatever else, right?

_I’m sitting in a surprisingly formal meeting between everyone participating in the party set up in the dining room. Kyo and Yui were the ones I expected, while Roxxy and Fumi I suspected might come. Noriko is a little bit out of left field, right there with Lani._

_Yui reaches into an accordion folder she’d presumably found in the library and offers me a piece of paper._

**YUI:** I took the liberty of asking around yesterday.

**SHUJI:** You didn’t ask me, though!

**YUI:** You’re the cook. You know your own allergies, I presume.

**SHUJI:** What would you do if I hadn’t agreed to cook?

**YUI:** _[Sighs.]_ Well, in that case, I suppose I would’ve have had to do the impossible and ask you about your allergies today.

**SHUJI:** Right. That makes sense.

**YUI** : Do you have any other questions?

**SHUJI:** Oh! Um. Not for now.

**KYO:** **_[_ ** _Clapping their hands.]_ Okay, class! Here’s the plan!

**FUMI:** Class?

**ROXXY:** Ooh, plan!

**KYO:** _[Winks.] I_ ’ve got it all worked out. Last night Yui and I went through the supply closet looking for party supplies. We didn’t get a lot, but there’s some stuff we can make a banner out of, some paper napkins, and some candles!

**NORIKO:** Are we having the wake in here? I can’t think of another place with enough seating for all of us.

**KYO:** Nope! We always have dinner in here. It would take a lot to get it festive. If we had a ballroom or… _[sighs.]_ Well, we don’t. So we’re moving the dining room table.

**NORIKO:** Ah, now I understand why I was invited to help with preparation. Roxxy-san, I suppose we’ll be moving the table together.

**ROXXY:** Okie dokes! I used to throw wrap parties all the time when we’d do big shows or tours, you know?

**FUMI:** Weren’t they, um, thrown for you? Like in your likeness? No. Honor. Weren’t they thrown in your honor?

**ROXXY:** Well, kinda sorta. I’m the big name on the marquee, so everyone had to do all that work because of me, so it just felt natural to chip in with parties. I’m not nearly as experienced as Kyo-chan about all this, but this isn’t my first rodeo!

**FUMI:** Alright. What will I be doing, if you don’t mind me asking?

**KYO:** Good question! One, moral support. You’re an excellent cheerleader for Roxxy-chan. Two, Shuji-kun will need help in the kitchen. Three, we were hoping you could use your presumably fantastic penmanship on the banner we hang!

_Fumi counted off on her fingers, internalizing each item on the list._

**FUMI:** I don’t know how to cook.

**SHUJI:** I don’t know if I need any help, also. I’ll probably just make something basic that can be eaten cold so we can snack while we hang out, right?

**YUI:** You’re forgetting that you’ll have to make drinks as well.

**SHUJI:** Damn, you’re right.

**LANI:** I don’t have a job yet. Can I help with cooking too?

_He looks...grim but not actively on the edge of a breakdown anymore. Regardless, he looks like he could do with some friendly company._

**SHUJI:** Yeah, join us. If I’m having to guess how to make drinks, I’ll need some test subjects, right?

**LANI:** Ugh, you sound like Aika-san.

**YUI:** There will be no guessing or test subjects.

_She turns to the dining table and grabs a book before shoving it into my hands._ Bartending 101? _Okay, that’s a pretty big relief. Normally I’d just google a problem like “How to make Jello Shots” but without functioning internet? I guess I’m back to old school books._

**YUI:** Will that suffice?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I’m a quick study.

**KYO:** Awesome! Okay, the hardest part is gonna be getting this table up the stairs.

**NORIKO:** Where, exactly, are we taking this?

**KYO:** Follow me!

_The girls shrug and pick up the table at either end with ease. Damn. They really are strong. Kyo beckons over their shoulder and leads the girls equipped with table, while Yui tails behind the group checking things on a clipboard._

_With them gone, it’s just the three of us. I grin at them as reassuringly as I can, and head toward the kitchen._

_Time to figure out what to make, I guess. Might as well get opinions from my helpers._

**SHUJI:** So, what should we make?

**FUMI:** You don’t know?

**SHUJI:** Should I?

**LANI:** Well, you’re the cook.

**SHUJI:** Yeah, but, this is a team thing. Where should we start?

**FUMI:** Um. Diets. Dietary needs! Where’s that piece of paper Suzuki-san handed you?

**LANI:** Right! This’ll at least cross some things off so we don’t have infinite possibilities!

**SHUJI:** Read it to me, I’ll look around and see if I can find anything good.

**LANI:** Well, Aika-san put down that she prefers to drink blood. And she--oh, this is inappropriate. I can’t say that.

**FUMI:** Hand it over, I’ll read it.

_Fumi takes the piece of paper, her brow furrowing as she catches up with the list._

**FUMI:** _[Serious.]_ Alright, she drinks blood and eats…

**FUMI:** _[Blank expression.]_ Pussy.

**SHUJI:** Right. Anyone else? What’s next?

**LANI:** Bo-san isn’t allergic to anything other than, um. Well it says here that their species finds leafy greens extraordinarily bitter so they won’t eat any.

**FUMI:** Wow, Suzuki-san was thorough about writing these down.

**SHUJI:** Okay, so no salads. Next up?

**LANI:** Mmm, Kata-san is deathly allergic to tree nuts. That one seems important. Otherwise, Miki-san noted a distaste for mushrooms and that’s about it.

**SHUJI:** Okay. No tree nuts, no leafy greens. I was thinking it would be better to make lots of small stuff so people could snack during the party, instead of having a whole meal carted to wherever the dining table is now. Thoughts?

**FUMI:** Smart. We never eat all as a group, anyway, so that would be awkward.

**LANI:** So...like chips and stuff?

**SHUJI:** Yeah! I think there’s tortilla chips somewhere in here, so if we make salsa or some other dips, that’s a start.

**FUMI:** What about popcorn?

**SHUJI:** _[Snaps.]_ Brilliant. So we’ve got chips, dip, and popcorn. Lani-kun, do you know how to make anything?

_He pauses. Day before yesterday he probably would have jumped up and rattled off a bunch of hawaiian food he likes, or something. Today he looks at his hands and shakes his head slowly. He’s just not the same person._

_I exchange a worried look with Fumi. I know I have to do something, but what?_

**SHUJI:** I’ll dig through the pantry for a bit, you two keep me company.

**FUMI:** Should we start putting things together already?

**SHUJI:** Nah, the party isn’t gonna start until this evening anyway. This is all prep time.

**FUMI:** I see…

_I imagine a lightbulb popping up above my head. Thanks, cartoons._

**SHUJI:** Do you ever help cook at home, Fumi-chan?

**FUMI:** Oh, only a little. My parents love to cook so dearly, it’s part of their treasured time together. Heiji and I hate interrupting.

**SHUJI:** That sounds really sweet. Don’t you ever cook for them on their anniversary or something?

**FUMI:** _[Fingertip touching chin.]_ I make desserts! It’s hard to cook with a baby, but baking isn’t so bad.

**LANI:** You really do have a baby? I thought Aika-san was being mean.

**FUMI:** _[Giggles.]_ Yes, I do. Would you like to see pictures?

_Lani brightens up a bit and leans forward as Fumi takes out her phone to flip through her camera reel. I watch them for a moment, observing Lani ease into a genuine smile. I don’t think this will cure his PTSD or whatever, but it might work as a bandaid._

_Fumi and Lani coo and laugh at cute pictures of her kid while I get back to work. The pantry has some chips, but none that are too tasty and salty and bad for you. It’s like someone’s 60 year old mother put this kitchen together, sometimes._

_I take whatever seems like it might make for a good snack out into the kitchen proper and set it on the countertop. With a glance, I check up on Lani and Fumi to see that they’re still busy, and start looking for big bowls._

_Once those are also on the counter, I clap my hands to get their attention._

_Lani is still smiling. I think I did something good._

**SHUJI:** Okay! You two are going to put things into bowls. I’m going to read how to make drinks, in case jello shots take a long time to make. If you want to wander around the kitchen and find other snack-like things, feel free!

**LANI:** Sir yes sir!

**FUMI:** _[Giggling.]_ Affirmative, soldier! _[Salutes.]_

_The two of them laugh, and I grin._

_I end up sitting on the counter with my book, half-reading and half-eavesdropping on the two of them as they get to work._

**FUMI:** Hmm...We probably need fruit, too, right? Even if Bo-san refuses to eat leafy greens, fruit will at least be partially healthy.

**LANI:** Tch, you sound just like my sister.

**FUMI:** Oh? Is that...is that a compliment?

**LANI:** _[Laughs.]_ Yeah! She’s almost ten years older than me, and she basically raised me. As a kid she’d definitely have to sneak healthy things into my diet.

**FUMI:** Smart girl. Hisato is pretty good about eating his vegetables, but Heiji...Unless it’s in smoothie form, he won’t touch a vegetable. My father is the same way.

**LANI:** My parents are all about the sweets, weirdly. When they’d come home they’d always sneak me candy and risk getting chewed out by my sister.

**FUMI:** It sounds a bit like your parents played more of a sibling role than your actual sibling.

**LANI:** Well, they were gone a lot while they saved the world. Since they weren’t home that often, they wanted it to be fun. And it was!

_Fumi hums softly as she readies some pears and thoughtfully sets a fruit knife next to them. I almost tell her to wait to cut them until the party’s almost started, since they’ll brown quickly, but she knows that much already._

**FUMI:** How did they save the world? Or are they still doing it?

**LANI:** They’re environmental scientists. My dad moved to Hawaii to work on the pollution problem, and my mom’s been working on protecting coral reefs her entire life. They travel a lot.

**FUMI:** Wow! Are you trying to follow in their footsteps? I remember reading about you coming over from America after a power plant melted down a few years ago. Unless that was a different teenaged solar technician, of course…

**LANI:** Haha, yep! That’s me! I guess my whole family’s focused on trying to save the world. My sister does the poli-sci approach, and I’m just trying to make coal and oil obsolete. What about your family? What are they like?

**FUMI:** Hmmm. Well, you know Heiji.

**LANI:** Yeah, he’s amazing. He’s so cool!

**FUMI:** _[Giggling.]_ You sound just like all his fanboys. He has fangirls, too, of course, but they get less attention from him.

**LANI:** I think I’m the only person in here, besides you obviously, who’s actually seen his stuff. I can surf a little bit but not like him!

**FUMI:** He gets it from my dad.

**LANI:** Your dad surfs too?!

**FUMI:** Well, yeah! He and my mom own a surf shop now. Hisato is already just as much a beach baby as they always have been. I can’t blame him; he’s grown up surrounded by the surf and people talking about it.

**LANI:** Hahaha, I bet his first word was ‘ocean,’ or something.

**FUMI:** It was balls.

**LANI:** Excuse me?

**FUMI:** _[Laughing.]_ It was balls! His first word was ‘balls.’ Like beach balls?

**LANI:** Oh my god. That’s incredible.

**FUMI:** You should meet him! You’d make a great uncle figure. Everyone in my family is so locally focused, it would be nice for him to meet someone who’s concerned about the whole world.

**LANI:** Me...an uncle… _[Stars in his eyes.]_

**FUMI:** I think my family would really love you, too. You’re always so positive.

_I glance up over my book. Lani is happily putting chips into a bowl, but Fumi is watching him carefully. She’s noticed the downturn in mood as well, I’d wager, and is trying to reinforce his cheerful behavior._

_Interesting._

**LANI:** I’d love to meet them.

**FUMI:** It’s a deal, then. Once we’re out of here, before you go back to Hawaii or wherever, you’ll meet my family. I’ll get you a World’s Secondest Uncle shirt!

**LANI:** Secondest?

**FUMI:** Well obviously Heiji is the first, right?

**LANI:** I don’t think secondest is a word…

**FUMI:** Oh...it isn’t...Hmm…

**LANI:** But still get me the shirt! I’d love to be Hisato-kun’s secondest uncle!

**FUMI:** Oh, good! If you want to, you can invite your parents and sister as well. We’re used to having lots of guests.

**LANI:** Because you’re famous?

**FUMI:** _[Laugh.]_ More like because my dad loves attention. Everyone in town knows him, and he and my mom love throwing dinner parties. He tells these long stories and--Oh, Lani-kun, don’t you think that’s a little over-full?

**LANI:** What? Nah. There’s a ton of us! We’ll eat it all.

**FUMI:** I’m more worried about spilling…

**LANI:** I’ve got it under control!

_He’s definitely cheered up quite a bit. Fumi is way better at this than I am._

**FUMI:** Shuji-kun? I can’t think of anything else for us to do.

**SHUJI:** Oop, you’re right. It looks like jello shots aren’t that difficult to make, and Kyo-san specifically requested them, so…

**FUMI:** I’m not sure how I feel about alcohol...Just because we’re graduates doesn’t mean we’re adults.

**SHUJI:** No one is gonna be forcing anyone to drink. Or...eat? I don’t know how to go about jello shots. But everyone is pretty tense right now, and I think just a little bit to loosen everyone up won’t be a big problem.

**FUMI:** Hmm…

_Wow, that’s a face of pure motherly disapproval. Haven’t seen that one in a while. I turn around and get a pot out of the cupboard to boil water._

**LANI:** I’ll go see if there’s jello packets!

**SHUJI:** Thanks!

**FUMI:** I should probably go check on the girls and Kyo-san. One of my jobs _is_ cheerleader, after all. Do you need me for anything else?

**SHUJI:** Nope, you’re free to go! Thanks so much for your help, Fumi-chan.

**FUMI:** Okay, I’ll see you at the party!

**LANI:** Yep yep!

_With that, she takes off. I hope we didn’t make her uncomfortable by talking about drinking, but it_ was _Kyo’s special request. It’s not like I’ll make enough for everyone to get hammered._

_Lani comes back from the pantry with some jello packets and food coloring. Unfortunately, it looks like the only color available to us is eye-searing pink. I’m not someone who hates pink or anything, despite going through that phase as a kid, but it’s somehow the tackiest color on the planet when it matches up with The Fey’s whole theme._

_Sometimes I’m surprised the rest of the house is as understated and tasteful as it is, with The Fey in charge. But I’m no interior decorating expert...probably._

_Unless that’s my talent and I’ve just forgotten?_

_For a moment I try to imagine rearranging a room to make it look better. I’m drawing a blank._

**SHUJI:** Hm, don’t think that’s it, then…

**LANI:** Huh? Did I get the wrong stuff?

**SHUJI:** Oh! Oops, no, I was just talking out loud.

**LANI:** Oh. That’s how I always talk. I think most, if not all, actually, talking is out loud.

**SHUJI:** Hey, since when are you a smartass?

**LANI:** Since always! I’m a genius, remember? But I’m just teasing you.

_It looks like he’s really back to himself. I can’t help but smile._

**SHUJI:** Fine, genius. While I stir this, do you wanna pick out some drinks? The book said vodka.

**LANI:** On it!

_We work together in camaraderie, not really feeling the need to talk more than idle chatter. Ultimately, we make 20 jello shots because neither of us are familiar enough with the measurements in the book to adjust it so that everyone only gets one._

_We make some simple dips for the chips, as well, and I find some shitty microwavable pot stickers in the walk in freezer._

**LANI:** What’s left to do?

**SHUJI:** Mm...I think we should make normal drinks, too. Right now all we’ve got is jello shots and water.

**MIKI:** Are you telling me there’s soda in here? There’s been soda this whole time? I’ve been drinking water for days, and there’s been soda?

_I hadn’t seen them enter, but before I could even process that they were here and demanding soda, they were sitting on the counter._

**LANI:** You like soda, I guess?

**MIKI:** I _like_ coffee. I _love_ soda.

**SHUJI:** Hey, Dan-san. I haven’t seen you around much.

**MIKI:** Yeah, yeah. I’ve been hiding.

**SHUJI:** Hiding? That sounds serious.

**LANI:** Who are you hiding from?

**MIKI:** _[Uncomfortable.]_ Kathy-chan…

**SHUJI:** I thought you two were close, though. What happened? If she threatened you, I’m sure Noriko-san can--

**MIKI:** She didn’t--she didn’t fucking threaten me. She’d never hurt me. She’s...urgh…

**LANI:** Oh, I get it.

**SHUJI:** You do?

**MIKI:** No you don’t!

**LANI:** You have a crush on her, and you’re afraid to develop feelings for someone because you work so hard on your bitter exterior. Am I right?

**MIKI:** Gghhrhr….

**LANI:** High five, Shuji-kun! I guessed it!

**SHUJI:** That’s pretty impressive sleuth work, dude.

**LANI:** My sister’s poli-sci!

**SHUJI:** Is that...relevant or...just like, a fact. You wanted to share.

**LANI:** She’s all about people! So she taught me how to read people, a little bit! Also I overheard Dan-san talking to Isei-kun about her.

**MIKI:** You eavesdropping little bitch!

**LANI:** Don’t worry, I won’t tell!

**SHUJI:** She might kill me for this, in which case everyone here can split my belongings equally amongst themselves, but she definitely likes you too, Miki-san.

**MIKI:** Who the fuck said we were on first name basis, huh?!

**SHUJI:** My bad, I guess I’ll keep my information to myself.

_Miki practically leaps off the counter to approach me. They’re quite a bit shorter than me, so this fails to be intimidating, but they’re definitely trying._

**MIKI:** Did she tell you that? Did she say that specifically?

**SHUJI:** _[Shrugs.]_ Who knows? Only people who help me carry all this stuff to the party can find out…

**MIKI:** You’re...you…! Ghrk…

**LANI:** _[Smiling.]_ You can carry the soda, since it’s your favorite!

_Miki makes some more choking sounds before digging around in the fridge to find some bottles of soda. They’re all glass, because everything in this house has to be fancy or I guess someone’s head will explore, but Miki takes a ton of them into their arms and glares at me._

**SHUJI:** Nice! Teamwork!

**LANI:** Oh, I’ll cut the fruit really quick and then we can head over.

**SHUJI:** Oops, there’s one problem. I don’t actually know where the party is being held.

**MIKI:** You two are insufferable idiots. Follow me. And talk. While you walk. Or I’ll drop all of these.

**LANI:** You know you’ll just have to clean it up, right?

**MIKI:** I know no such thing! I’m not cleaning shit!

**SHUJI:** She said you’re small and pink.

**MIKI:** I...guess...I am those things? Is this all you’re going off of as far as her liking me?

_Miki leads us across the foyer and into the access tunnel._

**LANI:** I hope it’s a pool party!

**SHUJI:** Ugh, I hope not. I hate swimming in my binder.

**MIKI:** Answer the question!

**SHUJI:** Oh, she said she liked you. Because you’re small and pink. And then I accused her of caring about you and she ran away. Pretty straightforward, I think.

_Like Katherine herself had said, “Does it have to be complicated?”_

_I still think yes, it’s super complicated. Dating in here is such a nightmare scenario._

_Miki leads us across the pool area and up the stairs. Looks like it’ll be a garden party, then. I’m more comfortable with that than the pool party, at least until I can find a shirt that’s comfortable underwater. While they lead us, Miki is uncharacteristically circumspect._

_The dining room table has been set up not too far from the entrance, off to the side of the winding pathway. The group must’ve been in and out bringing chairs along, as well, because Fumi is sitting on one, writing something. Katherine, who I wasn’t aware was participating, is farther away from the group, attempting to hang some brightly colored streamer paper from one of the hanging lights as Yui supervises._

_In the distance, I see Roxxy and Noriko fiddling with something in the dirt._

_I hesitate for moment, unsure of if I should be setting the food up already, but someone else comes in behind us not long after I enter._

**KYO:** Oh, good! I was wondering where you’d went!

_I turn to face them, and see that they’re holding a bowl of snacks. Behind them is Bo and Isei, also with their arms full from the kitchen. It looks like I won’t have to take another trip after all._

**SHUJI:** Just reporting for duty. Did you go looking for me?

**KYO:** _[Laughing.]_ Not extensively. Mostly looking for the food. Oh, Miki-san is involved too? How nice!

**MIKI:** _[Grumbling]_ Mmrf...nice...not….ghrgh…

**YUI:** Kyo, you’re here. Could everyone please place anything food related on the dining table, out of Fumi-chan’s way? Thank you.

**KYO:** _[Winking.]_ I’ll talk to you guys once the party is in swing! I’ve got work to do.

_We all shuffle over to the table and place our things down. I figure we’ll organize it to look nice once Fumi is done doing whatever she’s doing--which she seems to be very focused on--because nobody seems very worried about the aesthetic of their placements._

**ISEI:** Hey, Lani-kun. You look better.

**LANI:** Oh. Um. Thanks! I think I feel better.

**ISEI:** Did Kyo-san tell you what’s going on with the lights? Looks like Roxxy-chan and Noro-san are going to try to dim things in here to make it a more party atmosphere. They might need help.

**LANI:** They found light controls? That’s excellent!

_Before anyone can say anything else, he gallops off to where Noriko and Roxxy are hanging out. I guess that solves the mystery of what they’re doing over there._

_I open my mouth to greet Isei, but before any sound comes out of my mouth, someone else is already trying to get his attention. I spot Yui waving him over from over his shoulder and shut my trap. He doesn’t notice her from behind him, and looks at me quizzically, until Yui nudges Katherine and she helps out._

**KATHERINE:** Isei!

_She’s got the vocal projection skills of a stage actress. He turns, raising an eyebrow at the casual form of address, and finally sees Yui trying to flag him down._

**ISEI:** Sorry, bud. Looks like I have duty elsewhere.

**KATHERINE:** Get over here!

**ISEI:** What do you need?!

**KATHERINE:** You’re tall!

_He looks back at me and shrugs, then heads over._

_This leaves me and Fumi by the snack table. I pull up a seat next to her, far enough away that I’m not actively snooping but close enough that I can try to get a look at what she’s doing anyway._

_She’s writing on some high-end looking paper with a pen that looks like you’d sign contracts regarding souls with. Her handwriting is precise and elegant, though her face is caught someplace between attentive and bored. It looks like the kind of close to fugue state rhythm gamers enter when they’re too good to actually be seeing what they’re doing. I’ve seen it before, but it’s still impressive._

**FUMI:** Are you going to say something?

_Shit, she knows I’m here. So much for the fugue state guess._

**SHUJI:** Sorry, didn’t mean to be creepy. I was just watching you work.

**FUMI:** You want to ask me what it is, don’t you? Shoot.

_She turns to me with a flash of a smile, but her eyes are back on the page before I can smile back._

**SHUJI:** Sure. What are you working on?

**FUMI:** Kyo-san said that these types of things often have a guest book. Obviously we know who all is gonna be here, but...well, this is a sort of a farewell card. To...you know. From us. I’m writing a message to them…

**SHUJI:** I wouldn’t even know how to start articulating my feelings on all that.

**FUMI:** That’s why I’m doing it! I’m pretty used to articulating people’s feelings for them. And...they’re my feelings too. Which helps.

**SHUJI:** I feel a little bad about it.

**FUMI:** Their...passing?

**SHUJI:** Well. Yes, that too. I was talking about how you’re kinda doing a lot of emotional labor for the group right now. It doesn’t seem fair.

**FUMI:** _[Smiling.]_ You can write your own message to them, too. But I know most people are going to have a hard time with it, so...Well, I’m doing my part, anyway.

**SHUJI:** That’s really kind of you.

**FUMI:** Don’t be silly, this is just my job.

_Right...Roxxy had said that she writes hard to write letters. Still, I thought she mostly meant love notes, not final farewells._

**SHUJI:** That doesn’t make it any less kind. You wouldn’t have picked up the job if you were a mean person.

**FUMI:** Hm?

_She stops writing for a moment and looks at me, pen poised in the air, blinking._

**SHUJI:** Would a jerk do their best to convey other people’s feelings?

**FUMI:** If it made the jerk money, maybe. I started out writing love letters for my friends’ crushes, and it may have started out because we were friends and I wanted to help, but I still...you know...charged for it. Especially once it was strangers asking for my help.

_She shrugs and continues writing, though she’s going more slowly now._

**SHUJI:** How’s the saying go? If you’re good at it, never do it for free? Just because you’re good at being empathetic and articulate doesn’t make you a bad person for charging for it.

**FUMI:** _[Laughs.]_ No, I think it just makes me very practical. Most people think I’m...silly, I guess. I bumble around, pretending I’m everyone’s mother, so they think I’m an airhead.

**SHUJI:** I don’t.

**FUMI:** Of course you don’t. Thank you. I don’t really...need your help, here, though.

_She puts down her pen so she can look me in the eyes. Her face seems strangely sad, though she’s still smiling superficially._

_I feel bad. I don’t know what I was trying to do here. Was I acting like a jerk? Some white knight, as if she didn’t know her own worth until I told it to her? I glance to the side, embarrassed._

**SHUJI:** I’m sorry.

_Fumi shakes her head; I see the motion out of the corner of my eye._

**FUMI:** No, I’m sorry. This work is emotionally exhausting. After the party, we should talk. We’re not friends.

**SHUJI:** I--

**FUMI:** Ugh! I meant--This is why I write everything down instead of say it out loud. We’re not friends _yet_. It’s hard to be open and, you know, communicative. Since we’re not friends yet. I snapped at you, because I’m working on this emotionally draining thing and--

**SHUJI:** I get it.

_At least, I think I do. I get enough of it, for now._

**FUMI:** Thank god.

**SHUJI:** I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll see you once the party’s in full swing, okay?

**FUMI:** Yes. You should probably check in with Kyo-san before you leave.

_I nod, but I don’t think she sees it. She’s already back at her, her brow furrowed now with concentration._

_I stand up and look around the greenhouse for Kyo. During my conversation with Fumi, several things seem to have changed. Where before, Katherine was standing on a chair and seemed to be hanging something from the lights while Yui looked on, now Isei is on a chair near a completely different light while Kyo coaches._

_Are they taking shifts?_

_I follow the path and step over some plants to get over to them. Isei is on his tiptoes, hanging what seems to be a paper streamer from the dangling light fixtures. I look up, glancing around at the rest of them, and it seems that they’ve attached streamers to almost every light fixture in the entire greenhouse. They vary between light and dark green, with pinks and yellows as accents. It’s very appealing, but my throat feels like it’s going to close up just looking at them._

**KYO:** Pretty nice, right? I chose the colors based on what reminded me of...them. You know.

_I hadn’t noticed Kyo approach, but they successfully break me from my reverie. I must have looked like an idiot, staring at the ceiling. I clear my throat before I speak, so I don’t sound like I’m about to cry._

**SHUJI:** It works. I mean, it reminds me of them too.

**KYO:** Alena-san didn’t wear a lot of yellow, but...I don’t know. I think she’d look good in it.

**SHUJI:** You should’ve told her that while she was still around. She would’ve appreciated it, I think.

_Oops, that came out way harsher than I meant it to. Kyo looks hurt for a moment, but their expression shifts to from offended to speculative faster than I can even think up the appropriate words for an apology._

**KYO:** You’re right. I didn’t talk to her a lot when she was...here. I kinda hope this wake could be an apology to her, if she’s still...if...I don’t know if souls exist. But if they do, and she’s lingering at all, I hope this makes her feel better.

**SHUJI:** Masanori, too?

**KYO:** Yeah. Maybe if we weren’t so harsh on him...well, I don’t know.

_They look up at their streamers, a curious smile coming onto their face. It’s sad, but not bitter._

**SHUJI:** I think he’d hate the idea of a party thrown in his honor.

**KYO:** Yeah?

**SHUJI:** He’d say it was a trap, you were a skank, and that your color choices were tacky. And then he’d yell at someone else for a while and Noriko-san would smack him.

_Kyo looks at me, flabbergasted for a moment, before bursting into laughter._

**KYO:** _[Laughing; wiping away a tear]_ I think you’re right, Shuji-kun. I think he’d call it a farce and throw a drink at someone.

_I smile. Masanori might not have deserved to be eaten by robot sharks, but he was still a dick. Pretending otherwise is perhaps respectful, but I don’t think it’s helping anyone. A wake was supposed to be somber, probably, sure, but...I think they should also be honest._

**SHUJI:** Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk ill of the dead.

**KYO:** Really? You’re pretty good at it.

**SHUJI:** Only when I try. I wanted to let you know that I’m all done with the cooking and I’m not sure what to do next.

**ISEI:** You could hang these fuckin’ things.

_I look up at Isei, who has apparently been listening. His face is getting pink with effort; he’s not as tall as Katherine, and seems to be struggling a bit. I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing._

**KYO:** And have him take away your hard earned job? Also he’s shorter than you.

_Isei grumbles wordlessly and continues about his business._

**KYO:** Shuji-kun, what you need to do is get dressed.

_There’s a moment of primal panic where I assume that I forgot to get dressed today. Have I managed to get this far in my day without pants on? The spike of adrenaline that comes with thinking that you might have left off wearing all your clothes is comparable to what I imagine a mother feels when lifting a car off her toddler._

_But no. I have all my clothes on._

_I breathe a sigh of relief._

**SHUJI:** I’m wearing pants.

**KYO:** You sure are!

**SHUJI:** You want me to wear...more pants?

**KYO:** Well, not like...layered…

**SHUJI:** I’m confused.

**KYO:** It seems like it. I want you to dress up nice for the party! Which means taking off the ones you have on now, and putting on different ones.

**SHUJI:** Okay, I do know how to put clothes on, thanks.

**KYO:** Really? You seemed pretty lost there for a second.

**SHUJI:** Why do I need to get changed, though?

**KYO:** To look nice!

**SHUJI:** I mean--

**KYO:** Because you helped set up the party, which means you need to look good so the party looks good. I’m making everyone directly involved dress up, and you’re no exception.

**SHUJI:** _[Sighs]_ Fine, okay. Anything else, your majesty?

**KYO:** Now that has a ring to it. But...hmm. If you could round up anyone who’s still in the main house and tell them to head for the greenhouse, I’d appreciate that. We’re just about done here.

_I nod, salute, and step off. Kyo is definitely a funny one, I think. They know what they’re doing, though, so I can’t rebel too hard. Maybe next time I’ll get someone else to cook._

_Next time? As in, the next wake we set up for after more people die?_

_I resolve not to examine that thought process too deeply, and make it all the way to my room without causing myself any more problems._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This one is so long, so thanks for sticking with it and getting to the end. Next chapter will have the party! And some other stuff...DUN DUN DUNNN
> 
> Anyway, I really appreciate the readers that I have for this. This project means a lot to me, and getting feedback and conversations about it has really fueled me. I've got backlog written almost until chapter 2's trial, so you don't need to worry about big gaps in the story for a long while at least. I hope to update again by August 13th!
> 
> Once again, if you'd like to interact with me, the other people working on this project, or just other people who enjoy my work, feel free to join the discord server! The link is now in the description for Cornucopia of Hope, so join at your own comfort! I hope to see you there.


	17. Chapter Two: Patience (4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party! The wake starts off good, but unfortunately a certain Host decides to crash things. Apparently The Fey doesn't like Smash Mouth!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, very general warnings for discussion of sexual themes in this chapter. It's nothing too bad or detailed, but Aika gets a lot of screentime and she's a horrible goblin. You know how it is. 
> 
> Otherwise, get ready for a funky motive! People have been having fun for LONG ENOUGH!!

_ That colorful suit is still in the closet, waiting for me. I lay it out on the bed and frown at it for a minute. I haven’t had to dress up for anything since I was a kid, and back then I was stuffed into dresses. The suit is more...feminine than is entirely common. It’s floral patterned, with bright colors and narrow legs.  _

_ It’s beautiful, sure. But will dysphoria kick my ass if I wear it? _

_ I don’t have any other options, so I’ll just have to find out, I guess. _

_ I take a quick shower, attempt to brush my unruly hair, and change into it. It’s like it was tailored for me, it fits so perfectly. I look at myself in the mirror, preparing for a soul crushing realization that I look like a girl but… _

_ It doesn’t come. I look sharp. I look like a man with a sense of style, which is new since I usually stick to thrifted clothing and patched jeans. I breathe a short sigh of relief. _

_ My circuit around the house is short, given that I avoid the sitting room entirely for fairly straightforward reasons, and I direct everyone to the greenhouse. I get a few looks, but no comments about my manner of dress. _

_ By the time I find my way back to the greenhouse, the lights have dimmed to an evening-like glow, and all the streamers have successfully been hanged. The table has been arranged with the food artfully, and even though I made it all, it suddenly looks very appetizing. _

**SHUJI:** Wow…

**YUI:** A remarkable job, right?

_ I hadn’t noticed her, but she was looking over the scene with a more critical eye than I am. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah, it looks great.

**YUI:** The idea of the garden for the location was a stroke of genius on Kyo’s part. I did some of the arranging, but they handled most of it personally. They truly are gifted.

**SHUJI:** No kidding. I hardly recognize it, and I was here for the set up.

_ I finally turn to face her, and nearly do a double take. She’s wearing an elegant evening gown in a rich forest green, her hair tied up in an only partially successful ponytail, with her lips pursed in attentive satisfaction as she looks over the area. _

_ She checks a slim watch on her wrist that matches beautifully with the dress. _

**YUI:** I believe it’s time for the party to begin. You may now mingle.

_ I raise my eyebrows. Nobody is here yet, besides her. And she’s looking very intently at the surroundings, in a way that very clearly says ‘I’m busy, fuck off.’ So I do what any self respecting teenager would, and head for the snack table. _

_ I twist off the top of a soda bottle and take a swig. I think I’m sweating. I haven’t ever been to a party this fancy in my life, so I don’t know what behavior is appropriate without anyone to model myself after. _

_ Fortunately, Kyo and a handful of others come in soon afterwards. _

_ Kyo lights up the room like a flashlight. They’re practically sparkling in their tailored suit, making good conversation as they enter. Their voice is rich and interesting as they tell stories and make jokes. They spot me, send a wink in my direction, and continue paying very close attention to their conversation partner. _

_ Roxxy comes in, another spotlight in the crowd, in a satiny glittery red dress, sporting a boombox. She waves at me with a cheeky smile and sets it up across from the snack table. She presses play, and what sounds like Smash Mouth immediately comes out of the speakers. Is that  _ Astro Lounge?  _ Well, alright then. _

_ Before long, every single person who’s been forced to live in the Fey’s mansion is in attendance and broken off into little groups. _

_ I watch for a while, standing near the snack table, as Lani goes back and forth between groups, smiling and laughing and sometimes offering to get them drinks. He waves at me as he grabs snacks etc to bring to people who asked, as groups spread out throughout the greenhouse. _

_ 20 minutes pass before I realize that I’ve been standing all on my lonesome for what is probably longer than socially appropriate. I should probably mingle. _

[Aika, Isei, and Kata] / [Roxxy, Fumi, Heiji, and Kyo] / [Miki, Katherine, and PV] / [Bo, Noriko, Yui, and Lani]

**[SELECT: Aika, Isei, and Kata]**

_ I take a sip of my drink for courage and set it on the table before heading over to Aika and her little group. I usually wouldn’t prioritize hanging out with someone quite so...uh...well, you know. Like Aika. And Kata had specifically tried to stay away from me, so I guess I feel the need to prove that anyone I get close to won’t die. _

_ I grimace, despite myself. _

_ Isei, at least, should be okay. _

**AIKA:** You’d make a very good psychologist, I think.

**KATA:** You flatter me.

_ He looks bored, taking a drink that definitely doesn’t smell like soda. I’m glad Fumi isn’t hanging out with this group. _

**AIKA:** For once I’m being serious. Your stance on chemical attraction and simulating it through your computer games is...interesting.

**KATA:** All attraction is chemical.

**AIKA:** Naturally. Attraction is chemical, and seeks only to generate the happy-making juice. It makes all relationships seem futile when put under a magnifying glass.

**ISEI:** All relationships?

**AIKA:** Besides the sexual variety, naturally.

**ISEI:** Oh. Right. I forgot who I was talking to for a moment.

**KATA:** It’s a biological itch for “romance,” that I scratch.

**SHUJI:** It sounds like you make those titty games.

_ Everyone looks at me. Maybe this was not the best thing to jump into the conversation with. Hm. _

**ISEI:** It sounds like he makes those  _ what? _

**SHUJI:** Um. Right. The games people just...uh...play to…

**KATA:** To jack off.

**AIKA:** _[Taking a sip of her drink]_ Sounds like a good game.

**KATA:** Romance sims aren’t too far off, spiritually. They both prompt a neurological response, and some people find them satisfying. Definitely easier than dealing with real people.

**SHUJI:** I like dealing with people.

**AIKA:** More than jacking it?

**ISEI:** _[Quietly]_ Oh my god.

**SHUJI:** People are more interesting than a computer game. They’re less predictable, and they can offer more engaging conversation than just clicking next, you know?

**KATA:** I disagree entirely. People are incredibly predictable.

**AIKA:** There’s social codes that everyone seeks to follow, to bond with their herd and stay in line. It’s about protection, social and physical. It makes people boring.

**ISEI:** What about people who break social conventions?

**AIKA:** Like criminals?

_ Her voice is neutral, but there’s a quirk to her mouth that makes it clear she knows something I don’t. I guess Isei  _ does _ write about criminals most often but...what is she implying here? _

**ISEI:** Yes. Like criminals. Once someone abandons that...code, like you said, doesn’t it render them less predictable?

**KATA:** Everyone is innately responding to biological needs. Everyone  _ wants _ something.

**AIKA:** And you supply what people want, I gather? It sounds like you just want to be wanted.

**KATA:** Absolutely not. Don’t try to analyze me.

**AIKA:** You’re spending your life’s work scratching people’s itches. You’re no better than a psychological sex worker, just providing romance instead of sex. So, in a way, you’re less honest than a sex worker.

**KATA:** I bet you would know.

**AIKA:** I would always be willing to find out.

_ Um. _

**AIKA:** I’m winking underneath the sunglasses.

_ There it is. _

**KATA:** You don’t think maybe I make the games I do  _ because _ I’m wanted? Maybe I got bored of providing so much for people, so I programmed games to do it for me.

**AIKA:** Could be. Would that make you a bottom?

**ISEI:** It would make him a switch, it sounds like.

**SHUJI** : I can’t believe I’m having this conversation.

**AIKA:** You’re hardly participating, Saji-san. Why don’t we invite you into the discussion more thoroughly?

**SHUJI:** I’m not sure I like the sound of that.

**KATA:** You can leave at any time. I encourage it.

**AIKA:** Don’t be a buzzkill. I want to get to know him better. What do you say, Saji-san?

_ Well, I’ve already committed this much. I might as well jump into the deep end. Here goes. _

**SHUJI:** Sure. Ask me questions, if you want to.

**ISEI:** Let’s hope you don’t regret that.

**SHUJI:** If I regret it, someone can always pick Akiyama-san up and carry her away.

**AIKA:** Can you make that Noro-san do it? She’s strong. And if she’s having to carry me I can say whatever I want to to make her blush.

**KATA:** As if she wouldn’t drop you and break all your baby bird bones.

**AIKA:** Alright, Saji-kun. Why do you try so hard to be liked by everyone? Were you seriously rejected by someone in your past? A crush, perhaps? Or your parents. It’s usually the parents.

_ Yeah. Deep end. _

**SHUJI:** I think it's like you said earlier. Everyone wants to be liked. It’s about safety, and sticking together. Humans are communal, so we try our best to fit in within the community.

**AIKA:** Hmm. Interesting. What makes you seek safety so stringently? What kind of dangerous life have you lead? Or are you just a coward?

**SHUJI:** What’s more interesting, I think, is that people like you and Ama-san actively reject the safety of the group.

_ Aika’s head turns toward me slowly, and I’m forced to picture an owl turning its head to get eyes on its would be prey. Her mouth is set into the tiniest of frowns.  _

**ISEI:** Looks like you’re not so used to having observations made on you, Akiyama-san.

**KATA:** It’s nice to see her eat her just desserts.

**ISEI:** No, her just desserts would be if someone actually made her feel uncomfortable. What would that look like?

**KATA:** Can you imagine her blushing?

**AIKA:** You don’t have to imagine it, if you don’t want to. I’m wink--

**KATA:** Winking under your glasses. Yeah. Got it.

**ISEI:** Shuji-kun. You’re pretty sharp, you know?

**SHUJI:** Nah, I just pretend to be. Like a ceremonial sword.

**ISEI:** Those can still be dangerous in the right hands.

_ I’m just gonna do everyone a favor and pretend that wasn’t super ominous. _

**SHUJI:** Fortunately, my sharpness is in the hands of an idiot. Myself.

**AIKA:** Self deprecation, is it? I’m liking my rejection theory more and more, I’ll have you know. 

**ISEI:** You do seem to go out of your way to make people uncomfortable. It’s another distancing tactic, I think.

**KATA:** Really? It seems to me like she’s genuinely trying to jump in everyone’s pants.

**SHUJI** : Maybe it’s all part of a test for her. She likes tests.

**KATA:** Yeah, as long as she gets to get off on them.

**AIKA:** I’m right here.

**LANI:** I think they’re trying to ignore you!

_ I’d been so focused on the conversation that I hadn’t noticed Lani coming up from behind me. It’s no great surprise that he’s here; I’ve been watching him bounce and back forth between groups the whole party. _

**AIKA:** Terribly rude of them, don’t you think?

**LANI:** I don’t know, you’re pretty rude a lot of the time.

**AIKA:** I can be r--mmph!

_ Before Aika has the opportunity to say something inappropriate in front of Lani, Isei has literally clamped his hand over her mouth. _

**KATA:** Well that’s forward thinking.

**ISEI:** Akiyama-san, I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but Lani-kun is 16. You’re not allowed to be gross anywhere near him.

**AIKA:** Mmmmph…

**ISEI:** Ack!

_ Isei draws his hand a way with a disgusted expression. He wipes his hand on his pant leg, glaring at Aika. _

**ISEI:** She licked me!

**LANI:** Wow, like a 4 year old!

**AIKA:** Treat me like a child, I’ll act like one.

**KATA:** _ [Sipping his drink]  _ That says a lot about you. Careful what you admit, Akiyama-san.

**AIKA:** You’re assuming everything I’ve said so far is genuine and not an elaborate act designed to trick you into complacency so I can kill you.

**LANI:** So what’s up with this music?

**ISEI:** Yeah, is it American or what?

**SHUJI:** Is nobody else really alarmed by what she just said?

**LANI:** It’s Smash Mouth! They’re really good. At least, this album is. There’s one song that gets a little dicey, ‘cuz they do a whole reggae thing? But the rest are good.

**KATA:** I guess we’re ignoring her again.

**SHUJI:** All good with me. Wasn’t this band in Shrek?

**LANI:** Yeah! Do you like American movies?

**SHUJI:** When they’re subtitled. I’m not too good at English.

**ISEI:** I prefer dubs.

**KATA:** Oh, you’re a freak.

**ISEI:** Hey!

**KATA:** The Japanese voice acting is always really bad on dubs. I mean, I guess if you’re deaf or just hate enjoying things it’s fine…

**SHUJI:** You seem awfully sure that your opinion is the right one, Ama-san. But like, isn’t it just opinion?

**KATA:** The things I enjoy are based on neurochemical needs and impulses. I enjoy things based on factual biological evidence, while most people enjoy things because...they’re shallow, I think.

**LANI:** I’m not following how preferring subs is a biological need.

**AIKA:** Are we going back to talking about jacki--Hey! Don’t elbow me!

**ISEI:** Don’t be gross and you won’t catch an elbow in the ribs.

**KATA:** The subs vs dubs debate on American cartoons might appear trivial, but as far as seeking the truth of the original translation, the skill of the original voice actors...it can be refined into a science. Why do you, Ozaki-san, like cartoons?

**LANI:** Easy. They’re interesting to look at.

**KATA:** And that’s shallow.

**LANI:** Not really! The cartoons are meant to be entertaining, right? So if I’m being entertained, they’re following their purpose!

**KATA:** I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.

**SHUJI:** Hey! Good job conceding an argument about opinions!

**KATA:** ...if you’re a child.

**LANI:** Wow!

_ I glance over at Lani, who looks...definitely more upset than he should be about all of this. He’s keeping it together, but his eyes look glassy and his lip is very faintly trembling. _

**KATA:** You’re the youngest one here. You’re fragile. You’re just a child. No hard feelings.

**LANI:** Um. Yeah. I’m gonna go...talk to other people...now…

_ Lani walks away quickly, but I can see him brushing his hand against his eyes. I watch him go, wondering if he’s okay. He’s been trying really hard to be normal, and I’m worried it’s not helping him. The enthusiastic party goer Lani might have been real last week, but tonight? After what he’s gone through? _

_ It’s no wonder he’s crying after some teasing and a stupid argument. I would too. _

**ISEI:** I hope he’s okay.

**KATA:** _[Shrugs.]_ I don’t care.

**AIKA** : Am I permitted to speak, my leiges?

**ISEI:** No.

**SHUJI:** Sure.

_ Isei gives me a sharp look. Oops! I spoke without thinking. _

**AIKA:** Your whole ice cold vampire thing is pretty hot.

**KATA:** Do you know what I like about you, Akiyama-san?

**AIKA:** Is it my tits?

**KATA:** You don’t have tits.

**AIKA:** _[Sadly.]_ I know…

**KATA:** It’s how straightforward you are.

**AIKA:** Well, that’s something I’ve never been accused of before.

**KATA:** You want to get fucked, so you talk about it all the time. You don’t pretend to be my friend so you can weasle your way into bed with me. You just talk about my dick a lot. I think people could learn a lot from you.

**AIKA:** I often think so as well.

**ISEI:** You two are made for each other.

**KATA:** Fate isn’t real, Soga-san. Nobody is made for anything. They make themselves for things.

**SHUJI:** I didn’t know you were the super high school level philosopher, Ama-san.

**KATA:** I’m not. And I still want you to leave me alone.

**SHUJI:** You really think someone’s going to die again? And it’ll be someone who’s friends with me?

**KATA:** Why would the killings stop now? Once they’ve started, it seems inexorable.

**ISEI:** What happened to ‘there’s no such thing as fate’?

**SHUJI:** But we saw what happens if we kill. It’s...brutal. And Nishimuraya-san was...well…

**AIKA:** An asshole. Are you implying that jerks are more prone to killing? I suppose that sets up Ama-san here up for the next killer.

**SHUJI:** I just don’t think there needs to be a ‘next’ one!

**ISEI:** I’m sorry Shuji-kun, but I’m with them on this. I think that once the dam has been broken...well, social laws fall away pretty fast once someone sets a precedent.

**SHUJI:** I think anyone who’d kill after we say what happened to Nishimuraya-san is an idiot.

**THE FEY:** OR JUST DESPERATE~!

_ I spin, because she’s right behind me. _

_ Hovering at eye-level. _

_ With a katana. _

_ Like a normal, human sized katana. She’s dragging it on the floor. Her pink eyes are staring me right in the face. _

**ISEI:** Were you just waiting for an opportunity?

**THE FEY:** No! I was  _ waiting _ for an  _ invitation _ to this stupid stinky party!!

_ The Fey’s voice carries across the room so well I think it might actually be her speaking into the PA system. Everyone’s eyes are on us now, and people start to step forward to get a better view of the action. _

**KYO:** I...um. How were we meant to extend an invitation to you?

**ROXXY:** Nobody wanted you here!

**YUI:** Perhaps it’s best not to antagonize it.

**THE FEY:** _ [Upset]  _ You could have asked! Put some pebbles in a skull and rattled it! Or like, you know, email?! Texting?!?!?! This is the 21st century, you brats!

**PV:** Do you...have...a computer?

**THE FEY:** No!

**FUMI:** A phone?

**THE FEY** :  _ [Flatly.]  _ Your technicalities enrage me.

**NORIKO:** What is the purpose of this visit? Why are you here?

**THE FEY:** I HATE SMASH MOUTH!

_ She flies over, dragging that stupid sword behind her, and clicks the off button. _

**THE FEY:** And this is important!

_ Before she can follow up on whatever her point is, Roxxy quietly walks up behind her and clicks on the on button. The end of  _ All Star _ plays at full volume as everybody just looks at her. The Fey slowly rotates midair to look at Roxxy. _

_ Roxxy meets her gaze neutrally. _

_ Fumi starts giggling, and I have to bite my lip to avoid following suit. _

_ The Fey surges forward, faster than I would have expected her to move while towing a sword that’s longer than she is tall, and stops right in front of the boom box. Roxxy stumbles backward, nearly tipping over in her very high heels, trying to get out of the way of the suddenly very threatening looking katana. She heaves the katana like a zweihander and crashes it into the stereo, ceasing the music.  _

_ The katana stays lodged in the boom box as she turns back to us, casually tucking her plasticine hair behind her ear. _

_ Nobody is laughing anymore.  _

**MIKI:** ...Seriously? A passion for music and irritation at not being invited?

**KATHERINE:** I thought she was going to try to make us kill again.

**BO:** Don’t give it ideas!

**THE FEY:** As if any of you numbskulls could possibly conceive of an idea I hadn’t already had! You think soooo highly of yourselves, don’t you?

**KYO:** Of course we do. We’re Hope’s Peak Academy graduates. We’re supposed to be the cream of the crop. You’re just a shitty little robot with a superiority complex.

**THE FEY:** You’re clearly not creamy enough to refrain from killing each other. You’re animals. Just opossums covered in their own shit fighting each other in gutters.

**FUMI:** Nishimuraya-san killed to protect his family! It was noble in intention, even if it...even…

**HEIJI:** Even if he killed Alena-chan, he wasn’t an animal. He was our brother, same as everyone else here.

**THE FEY:** You think your motivations are so lofty? You think the cash to save a family is a  _ good reason to kill _ ?

_ The Fey descends into electronic sounding laughter, clutching at her belly with mirth as she rolls back in the air, her wings beating to keep her afloat. _

**THE FEY:** You’re pathetic! All of you! Do you want me to prove to you how pathetic you are?

**SHUJI:** I, um, think we’ll pass on the demonstration. If possible.

**ISEI:** Just fuck off and leave us alone like a decent goddamn kidnapper.

_ The Fey screeches with an electronic wail that’s somewhere between the sound of feedback and whale noises. It’s a noise so overpoweringly loud that I feel like I have to shut my eyes to keep it out.  _

_ Sometimes I forget The Fey isn’t a proper person. Like, yeah, it’s a robot that’s trapped us here and gloats when we get hurt, so not really human. But it’s basically shaped like a person, and it talks like a person, so my brain goes “person!” and moves on with its day. Like when you watch a cartoon with anthropomorphic animals, you’re not going to treat them like animals. You treat them, more or less, like people. It’s fine. It’s normal. _

_ When The Fey makes that demon howl of a sound, I’m forced to reckon with the concept that she has never been anything close to human. _

_ The sound peters off, to a point, and then we’re all left with just the ringing in our ears in its wake. I open my eyes cautiously, now that it’s “safe,” although that makes no biological sense. _

_ Or...do I? _

_ I blink. I blink again. A third time. _

_ It’s pitch black. _

_ I hear a scream. It sounds young, boyish, and I guess that it’s Lani. I reach out my arms in front of me, trying to see my own hands.  _

_ Nothing. _

**LANI** : Wh-what’s happening?!

**BO:** I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be blind! My other senses are already heightened!

**MIKI:** Not heightened enough. Get off my fucking foot!

_ There’s the sound of what I can only assume is lots of people bumbling into each other for a while. I stay still, trying to get my bearings, but it’s not really working. Lani’s point from yesterday about the glass being too thick to let in the sunlight is very poignant. It’s darker than I’ve ever seen. _

**AIKA:** Is this some more neurological fun, like the missing memories? Fiddling with our brains to prompt us to murder...Interesting.

_ Pink eyes appear at around eye level in the middle of the group. A grinning mouth appears soon after, casting light across Aika’s face. She takes a startled step back, frowning sharply, and is soon out of the limited light provided by The Fey’s ghastly face. It’s ghoulish; the only thing any of us can see in the room. _

**THE FEY:** You wish! You little assholes don’t get fancy motivations for this chapter. It’s lights out!

**FUMI:** Is it going to kill us?

**NORIKO:** I won’t let it.

**THE FEY:** No, you idiots! The lights are literally out!

**HEIJI:** Oh, haha, duh!

**THE FEY:** The electricity bill is honestly staggering. Did you know every room you’re not in is lit, even if you’re not in there? It adds up!

**KYO:** Don’t you supposedly have a hefty amount of money? At least enough to attempt to bribe us with?

**YUI:** I don’t believe a venture like this is cheap, regardless. Still, to prompt us to kill over an electricity bill…

**THE FEY:** It ain’t cheap! You’re right! The price for the electricity bill from now on is…

…

…

...

_ The pause goes on long enough for The Fey’s face to flicker into an expression of irritation. _

**THE FEY:** Come on, you seriously can’t guess? Maybe you’re more brain dead than I thought. It’s MURDER! The price for light is just one widdle dead body! After all, once less bedroom to light will make a big impact!

**SHUJI:** You can’t seriously think one of us would kill just to get the lights back on, right?

**THE FEY:** Didn’t you think that about money, Shuji-boy?

_ That puts me in my place rather more neatly than I’d like.  _

**THE FEY:** Oh? No reply from our valiant hero?

_ The Fey approaches me, casting light on my face. Great, now everyone can see me struggling with what it told me. It gets close enough to touch my face, and it’s tiny metallic hand touches my chin, forcing me to make eye contact.  _

_ In the stark darkness, the bright pink light of her eyes is almost blinding. _

**THE FEY:** You think you’re special, after solving an iddle widdle murder, don’t you? You think you and your friends are above all this, right? You’re not. You’re all going to die in here, for something as ridiculous and petty as a night light.

_ I jerk away from The Fey’s touch, disgusted, but the light of their face goes out entirely. _

_ Without her face, the darkness is total. Soon, the silence is as well. _

_ They...we couldn’t kill for this, right? I don’t say the thought out loud, because I know the reaction it’ll be met with. Still. Killing for a light? It seems so...primal. The fear of the dark. It has to be one of the first fears humanity was met with. _

_ The dark is really just the unknown. Anything we can’t see or understand. For cavemen it was the fear of tigers and mammoths or whatever, for us it’s… _

_ It’s each other, isn’t it? _

_ That’s what this motive is about. It isn’t about a fear of the dark, it’s about a fear of each other. _

_ The thought does not sit well with me. The Fey wants us to distrust each other, and that distrust will lead to violence. _

**ROXXY:** [Whispering.] Do you think it’s gone?

_ Roxxy’s voice stirs me from my thoughts, and I’m grateful for it. _

_ I reach out my arms, trying to see if I’ll collide with a tiny metal bastard. _

**SHUJI:** I think so.

**ROXXY:** Cool. I didn’t want to do this while it was here, so it wouldn’t break my phone.

_ Promptly, she takes out her phone and turns on the flashlight. There are gasps as our eyes adjust to the light, and audible sighs of relief from a few people. _

**FUMI:** You’re a genius!

**ROXXY:** Well you’re amazing!

**FUMI:** But this is literally life saving, probably!

**ROXXY:** Well you’re too sweet!

**MIKI:** I’m gonna puke.

**KATHERINE:** It’s...sweet.

**MIKI:** Huh? Hmm.

**NORIKO:** I think we should talk about the motive.

**PV:** If you can call it that. It’s not like anyone would murder to get a light back on.

**AIKA:** That’s naive at best, dangerous at worst. We all heard what The Fey said. And we all saw what Nishimuraya-san did. We’re killers.

**NORIKO:** The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter if one of us wants to kill to get light. This darkness provides opportunity. If any of us wants badly enough to escape this place, they might take it upon themselves to do something stupid.

**KATA:** Is killing necessarily stupid? Killing and getting caught, maybe...but like you said. It’s dark. It’ll be harder to get caught than last time.

**NORIKO:** Killing is foolish and morally reprehensible. Watch your tongue, Ama-san, before you’re the next one tied to a chair.

_ Everyone takes a second to glance at Aika. Aika notices the attention and shrugs, as if confused as to why we’d expect a comment from her on that. _

**SHUJI:** So how do we prevent another death?

_ Now it’s my turn to get stared at. Roxxy directs her beam of light toward me--not at my eyes or anything, thankfully--enough so that people can see my face if I choose to speak further. It makes it impossible to see the expressions on everyone else’s face. An uncomfortable experience. _

**SHUJI:** I just. I think we need a plan. Suzuki-san and Noriko-san put together some rules that we’re supposed to follow, but we haven’t been sticking in groups or anything.

**YUI:** It’s true. If Agyros-san had been consistent in staying in groups of three...Well. She might still be here today.

**LANI:** W-we can’t know that! You can’t blame her for her own...for...for what happened to her!

**KYO:** Yui is right though. If we’d stayed with Nishimuraya-san, he wouldn’t have had an opportunity to kill, either.

**NORIKO:** I hate to say it, but we’re all partially responsible for what happened.

**FUMI:** I’m not sure how to feel about that…

**HEIJI:** I’m pretty squarely placing the blame for all of this on that Fey and the killer...no offense.

**SHUJI:** Wait! I think this responsibility thing is good, actually.

**PV:** You want  _ us _ to claim responsibility for that murder? How is that in any way good?

**AIKA:** You’re just asking for people to go neurotic.

**SHUJI:** It means we can prevent another one! If we stick to our rules, if we stay together, we can make sure there isn’t the opportunity for anything like murder. Like Noriko-san said; this whole motive is about opportunity, nothing else.

_ There’s a moment of tense silence as we all think over what I said. Since when am I trying to boss people around? _

_ A sliver of a memory crosses my mind. I’m the type to sit in the back of a class and not speak. I have to keep my head down, or they’ll find out and I have to leave. We never really explored what would happen if they figured it all out, did we? I just hope they don’t call the cops or something, that would be-- _

_. . . . .  _

_ It’s gone. I shake my head. _

_ What was I even thinking about a moment ago? _

**KATA:** \--ct me to just follow all your stupid rules!

**YUI:** They are established as rather  _ not _ stupid, actually.

**AIKA:** I’m with him. I don’t personally trust a single person to watch my back, even within a group. I’m better off alone.

**ROXXY:** How can you say that? Everyone knows I’d never hurt anyone!

**AIKA:** People do things they’d never predict of themselves when they’re afraid.

**FUMI:** Roxxy’s not afraid! If anyone attacked her she’d be strong enough to defend herself, anyway!

**PV:** And become a murderer in the process? That’s not better.

_ It seems like the conversation kept going while I...got distracted, or whatever. They continue bickering, with Kata and Aika refusing to stick to groups of three or more, as I realize I might have something to contribute. _

_ I dig in my shoulder bag, which I’d brought with me to the party just in case I felt like smuggling some soda into my room later. I feel past the book that Alena wrote, and find the glow sticks I’d gotten yesterday. _

_ I crack them, and the sickly green glow fills the gaps that Roxxy’s piercingly bright phone flashlight couldn’t fill. Now, all of us could see each other--at least a little bit. It feels a bit less like we’re all ten year olds trying to tell scary stories at a sleepover, and more like we’re all ten year olds trying to stay up too late at a sleepover. So, a slight improvement I think. _

**SHUJI:** You’re letting The Fey play you.

_ Everyone looks at me, looking ghostly in the green light. _

**SHUJI:** All this bickering? It’s what they want. Whoever put us here, the Host or whatever. Do you know how easy it is not to kill? Personally, I’ve never even run into the problem of ‘to kill or not to kill’ before. I’m pretty sure most people go through their entire lives without killing.

**PV:** Most people go through their entire lives without being kidnapped, as well.

**SHUJI:** So what? Inaction is easier than action! We all just have to  _ not _ do something!

**KATA:** I’m sure Nishimuraya-san would have loved to get this speech…

**SHUJI** : You know what? He would have hated it. He hated being preached to, but I still would’ve been right. But since he  _ did _ kill someone, that means  _ we _ have to take security measures!

**NORIKO:** Like staying in groups.

**FUMI:** If we...if we all work together, we’ll get out of this just fine! 

**AIKA:** That sounds...likely…

**MIKI:** Oh god, we’re all gonna die.

**ROXXY:** Not if we’re proactive about it! We can always get Noriko-chan to tie people to chairs who don’t want to cooperate!

**KATHERINE:** Yep, we’re doomed.

**PV:** It’s time for all of you to stop being so negative. Shuji-kun is right. If we have a plan of action, and some structure, nobody has to get hurt. We’re going to charge our phones, use them as light sources, and stay in groups.

**KATA:** And what’s the grand punishment you have in mind for those of us who don’t want to let you be our dictator?

**NORIKO:** We’ll simply treat you as a potential murderer.

**KATA:** And that  _ means _ ?

**HEIJI:** You all tied Miki-san to a chair for less…

**YUI:** I believe what Dan-san did was actually quite a bit more.

**NORIKO:** We won’t need to tie you to a chair. If you stay away from the groups, we’ll have no need to fear you.

**KATA:** So. You’re telling me that if I don’t play along with your hand holding world peace bullshit, I get to be left alone? Boo hoo.

**PV:** Leave him alone. Nobody’s going to die if we follow rules. Who wants to come with me to the Hotel and get your phones?

_ With only moderate grumbling, the group breaks apart. Roughly half of us follow Pure Virtual downstairs as they use their phone to light the way. Kata and Aika leave soon after, stopping by the snack table to grab drinks and going to do whatever they feel like doing away from the group. Soon, only a few of us are left in the greenhouse. _

_ I spot Miki by the snack table, throwing back jello shot after jello shot. Well that’s not good. _

_ I pull up a seat next to them. They shoot me a glare, but otherwise throw back another one, chewing on it angrily.  _

_ Katherine shows up soon afterwards, and takes a seat on the far side of Miki. _

**MIKI:** What do you two want?

_ Katherine shrugs. _

**KATHERINE:** What do you want?

**MIKI:** To get drunk.

**SHUJI:** Have you ever been drunk before?

**MIKI:** ...No. Why? What does it matter?

**KATHERINE:** You’re pretty small.

_ There’s an amused edge to her voice, bordering on affectionate. I think about commenting on it, but I don’t want her to run away from me again. _

**MIKI** : And?

**KATHERINE:** You’ll hurt yourself.

**MIKI:** Oh, like you care.

**KATHERINE:** _[Quietly.]_ I do care.

_ This seems...tender. At least for them. I would quietly step away, but right now they’re looking at each other solely with the light I’m providing them. Plus, I made such a big deal about staying in groups, I can’t exactly go off on my own now can I? _

_ So I sit still and hope they don’t notice me too much. _

_ Meanwhile, Miki is not moving much either. They’ve got an empty glass in their hand, which they seem to be looking really intently at, but in the dim light it’s hard to tell. Katherine is as neutral as always, expression-wise. _

**MIKI:** You do?

_ Katherine looks away. _

**KATHERINE:** I do.

_ This is so fucking awkward. Why do I have to be here for this? Since when am I the perspective character in a romantic drama? I’m the shitty John Watson to Miki and Katherine’s Sherlock Holmes love story and I definitely don’t remember signing up for this. _

**MIKI:** Like...do you mean as friends? Or…

_ I can’t take it anymore. _

**SHUJI:** Hey, guys, I’ll leave you with one of my glow sticks but I’m taking off. Have. Um. Fun.

_ They look at me. I look at them. I very slowly, deliberately, place one glow stick on the snack table. I turn on my heel and walk away, hoping to run into someone else. If Pure Virtual decides to punish me for not being in a group, I’m pretty sure it can’t be worse than intruding on other people’s private moments. _

_ I manage to make my way all the way down the stairs and into the tunnel connecting the two houses before running into someone.  _

_ The eerie green light makes everyone look like a villain or a ghost, especially knowing that we’re underground. They begin as vague figures, blurry and uncertain, but as I draw closer they resolve themselves into properly human shaped people. _

_ The dark is already getting to my head. _

**FUMI:** I just don’t think it’s necessary.

**NORIKO:** With one solid person in a position of leadership, I can’t help but feel like a lot of our interpersonal problems wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

**KYO:** I expect you think it’s purely about safety?

**FUMI:** No, I believe that she wants the best for us.

**KYO:** I’m sure you do, Noriko-chan, but it definitely looks like a power grab.

**NORIKO:** And what power is there to have, exactly? It’s not like bossing everyone around is going to give me...what? Money? A more comfortable life?

**KYO:** No, but it would give you influence over us. I don’t mean to, you know, sound like a jerk here. But it would make it a lot easier for you to target any of us.

**FUMI:** Noriko-san would never! She wouldn’t hurt a fly.

**KYO:** I’m just saying! Like, playing devil’s advocate here. I think she’d hurt a fly if she thought the fly was going to pose a problem, right? So if she’s the agreed upon leader, and she knocks on your door and says ‘Hey, we need to talk about survival stuff.’ You’d go with her, right?

**FUMI:** But she wouldn’t ki--

**NORIKO:** I think Kyo-san may be right. Leadership, unchecked, could pose problems. At least with trust in the group.

**SHUJI:** Which is already pretty thin.

_ The three of them jump as if I’d just shattered a bottle next to them. They turn to me with wide eyes, shining in the dim light, as if they expect to see a ghost. _

_ I wave, awkwardly. _

**SHUJI:** Uh. Hi. Sorry for eavesdropping.

**FUMI:** But he’s right! Trust is already so bad...We need to figure out a way we can become closer. If we’re all friends, nobody’s going to want to kill each other.

**KYO:** _[Thoughtfully]_ I see what you mean. I had hoped…[Sighs.] I had hoped the wake would do that.

**NORIKO:** It’s fair to assume any attempt at gathering peacefully can be interrupted by The Fey. We should plan around it.

**SHUJI:** We should get like, a net.

**NORIKO:** ...a net.

**SHUJI:** Yeah. We could catch it. 

_ Noriko laughs. It’s more high pitched than I would have expected, bordering on giggling. It draws the attention of the group in a pretty wholesome way. Kyo smiles softly, and Fumi openly grins. It’s good to see that she  _ can _ laugh, I guess. She’s always so serious. _

**NORIKO:** You’re pretty clever, when you put your mind to it. I don’t think it would work, but I do like the mental image.

**FUMI:** The Fey, all tangled up in rope like a fish?

**KYO:** _[High pitched; mocking] ‘_ Ohh noo! Rope! My only weakness!’

_ We all descend into laughter. Fumi snorts when she laughs, and Kyo’s laughter gets caught in their throat sometimes, making harsh ck-ck-ck sounds as they try to subdue themself while Noriko continues to giggle.  _

_ It’s nice. _

_ It’s really nice. _

_ I feel like I’m actually friends with these people, not just in a tacit agreement to get along so that we don’t kill each other. _

**SHUJI:** You know what? I’m not so scared right now.

**NORIKO:** Laughter does have an effect on darkness, doesn’t it?

**FUMI:** Ohh it’s so embarrassing! I always snort!

**KYO:** It’s cute. We’re all pretty damn cute. 

**SHUJI:** We’re friends, right? I think Fumi-chan is right. If we’re friends, we don’t really need to worry about anything.

**FUMI:** So the leadership thing isn’t all that necessary?

**SHUJI:** Not yet, at least. Why don’t we all meet up tomorrow and figure out ways for us to spend time together?

**NORIKO:** In groups, of course.

**KYO:** The more of us we can get together at a time, the better, right?

**SHUJI:** Right!

**NORIKO:** Alright, I like this plan. I’ll wake everyone up and we can work on a plan of action from there.

_ We all nod firmly, and after a little bit of chatting, we end up going into the mansion proper and heading toward the Hotel. We split up, each going to our rooms to sleep. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be up by the 27th!
> 
> You know, it's interesting looking back at this. Just in the few months since I've been writing this story, I've improved a lot and figured out where I want this story to go. Looking back at the prologue it seems so...clumsy. Inexpert. I have a lot of plans for rewriting it for the visual novel, so if you've read this far you can anticipate some changes for the rerelease!
> 
> Oh, and just in general? Thanks for reading this far. I really appreciate anyone taking the time to read my story, and especially those that give me feedback. This project has taken up all my freetime, and I plan on using it to springboard into an actual writing career once I've built up the skills, endurance, and (ideally) fanbase to accomplish my goals. So...thank you!
> 
> Any comments etc are appreciated!
> 
> (I would have y'all vote for freetimes for this chapter but actually, chapter 2 is entirely written and complete! I'm already writing chapter 3! Isn't that cool?)


	18. Chapter Two: Patience (5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bookclub in the dark, bath house in the dark, and strong connections forged in the dark! Maybe this time nobody will die, with the way everybody's getting along :)

_ It’s 2 in the morning. _

_ Nobody who isn’t cramming for a test should be up this late. _

_ What about people who work at 24 hour stores, you ask. _

_ They should also be asleep. Those stores are testament to human hubris. _

_ I roll over, for the 15th time in the past 30 minutes. That’s one roll every two minutes. This is going to be how I die. How can I even be so sleepless? It’s not like it’s too bright in here. It’s quiet, as it always is. There’s nothing stressful to keep me up-- _

_ Oh, it’s the killing thing, isn’t it? _

_ It always boils down to the killing thing. _

_ I sigh, and sit up on my bed. This has gone on long enough. Pulling on a shirt that’s three times too large--thanks, by the way, to whoever stocked my closet in here--I leave my room to pace the hallways of the mansion. _

_ Noriko’s cautious voice lingers in my head, telling me it’s dangerous, but the groggy zombie taking over my body doesn’t seem too bothered by it. _

_ Navigating by touch and memory alone, I stumble through the lower floor. _

_ I try to go to the kitchen in the hopes that looking into a fridge or a pantry for a few minutes might be enough to knock me out, but find a grate covering the doorway much like the one that blocked the stairs. Huh. I guess that’s what The Fey meant by some areas might be closed at night. _

_ Leaving the dining room, I nearly trip over...something. Someone? _

_ Oh.  _

_ Oh no. _

_ I take my phone out of my pocket and turn the light to face whoever I nearly tripped over.  _

_ Miki is sprawled on the floor, flat on their back. My hands shake as I lean over them. I try to find their pulse and-- _

**MIKI:** Fuck offffffff….

_ They swat my hand away. _

**SHUJI:** Thank god. But also what the hell! What are you doing here?

_ I’ve just gone from fear to terror to relief to anger in about one second. This is a lot. _

**MIKI:** Tryin’ to sleep. Fuck off. Did I say that already?

_ They blink up at me, shying away from the light. Their eyes are glassy. _

_ Oh my god. _

**SHUJI** : Are you drunk?

**MIKI:** Pff. No. I can handle my drunk. My drink. Go away.

_ Yep. _

_ I squat next to them, getting as comfortable on the floor as I’m willing to. _

**SHUJI:** You can’t sleep out here. It’s against the rules.

**MIKI:** Fuck rules.

**SHUJI:** Hear hear. But really, I don’t want you getting hurt.

_ Miki groans pitifully for a moment, and covers their eyes. _

**MIKI:** Few more minutes?

_ I sigh. _

**SHUJI:** Okay, a few more minutes. I’ll be here with you.

**MIKI:** _[Muffled]_ Thank you.

**SHUJI:** So...what’s the story? Why are you drunk on the floor?

**MIKI:** Mrrprh.

**SHUJI:** Ahh. I see.

**MIKI:** ...Mrph?

**SHUJI:** You’re right. No, I don’t see. Did everything go okay with Ueda-san?

**MIKI:** Oh...that. It’s great. It’s amazing. It’s...Hurgrh.

**SHUJI:** You’re not allowed to puke on me.

**MIKI:** The first time in my life a girl likes me, and I like her back, and we’re in a fuckin’...

_ They trail off, mumbling for a moment until they’re just silent. I nudge them with my foot. _

**SHUJI:** What’s the problem? It seems like a good thing to have each other in here.

**MIKI:** Yeah. Yeah! Yeah…

**SHUJI:** So you’re drunk on the floor because…? You’re not sure how to deal with these feelings in a less than ideal environment?

_ Miki turns to me with one eye open, and it’s somehow the most powerful glare I’ve ever experienced. Wow. _

**MIKI:** You ask a lot of questions.

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I guess I’m a curious guy.

**MIKI:** I don’t know nothing about you.

**SHUJI:** Maybe you should ask more questions?

_ Miki growls and rests their hand on their forehead, still dramatically lying on the ground. _

**MIKI:** Why do you care? About all of us. You get all involved with our business and try to help and cook. Issuspicious. 

**SHUJI:** I guess that’s fair. I guess I want people to be able to depend on me. Why are you so suspicious of everyone?

**MIKI:** Uh! Murder! House!

**SHUJI:** Yeah, but...you seem like you think everything’s out to get you.

**MIKI:** ...Mmh. I don’t think...I don’t think you want to hurt me. People hurt each other on accident all the time. Sometimes even good stuff hurts.

_ I chew on that for a moment. Drunk Miki is a lot softer than I usually give them credit for. _

**SHUJI:** Good stuff like having a girl like you?

**MIKI:** _[Laughs.]_ Yeah, like that. Why d’ya want people to depend on you so much? Why not just be on your own and let people do their own thing? Fuckin’...fuckin’ meddler…

**SHUJI:** Have you ever tried to depend on someone, and found out you couldn’t?

_ They look at me again, this time with both eyes. There’s a very slight crease between their brows, but otherwise they’re holding their face very carefully neutral. _

**MIKI:** Yeah.

**SHUJI:** I just want to be what I didn’t get.

**MIKI:** ...parents?

**SHUJI:** Yep.

**MIKI:** Mine too. 

**SHUJI:** Wanna talk about it?

**MIKI:** Fuck no!

**SHUJI** : Alright.

**MIKI** : …

**SHUJI:** …?

**MIKI** : ...My dad died.

**SHUJI:** That sucks.

**MIKI:** _[Laughs.]_ Yeah...it sure does. My brother’s cool and all, but…

**SHUJI:** My parents kicked me out.

**MIKI:** Oh, wow. Harsh.

**SHUJI:** No kidding.

_ Miki sits up, very carefully. They hold their head in their hands for a moment, and gradually get to their feet. I follow them up, still shining the light on them. _

**MIKI:** I think I’m ready to go to bed now.

**SHUJI:** You should probably get a glass of water before you go to sleep.

**MIKI:** I tried. The kitchen’s closed.

**SHUJI:** Alright, drink out of the sink in your room, then. C’mon, let’s go.

_ We walk back to the Hotel, and I make sure they get into their room before returning to mine. I lie flat on my bed after plugging in my phone, and stare at the dark ceiling. _

_ I guess friendship takes all sorts of forms. With Noriko, Kyo, and Fumi it looks like laughter. With Miki it looks like drunkenly talking about our problems. Neither is more correct than the other. I wonder what friendship with Masanori would have looked like, in some alternate universe. _

_ I wonder if we were friends during high school, before our memories got erased. _

* * *

 

**NORIKO:** Usually I’d say we should meet weekly, but...well, there isn’t a lot else to do.

**HEIJI:** Speak for yourself, I’ve got laps every morning.

**YUI:** Yes, but it’s not like we have other club meetings or homework to attend to.

**KYO:** I guess despite everything I’m glad about that…

**LANI:** It’s only fair that graduates don’t have homework to do! I refuse to do homework when I’m not at school!

**FUMI:** Were you not planning on attending a university once you graduated? You’d learn a lot!

**LANI:** Oh...I guess I am still kind of a kid…

**FUMI:** Oh. Um. No! I meant like, you’re so smart that you’d really get a lot of opportunities from a university. Meeting with like minded people, stuff like that.

**ROXXY:** What would you major in, Fumi-chan?

**FUMI:** Hmm...I haven’t really thought about it. I’d probably pick a university based on if they have daycare, and go from there.

_ We haven’t even started in yet, and we’re already off topic. I don’t mind it, really. We’re trying to conserve phone battery, which means one of us has a phone out at all times, but the darkness is still creeping in. I think chattering helps people feel less nervous about it. _

**ISEI:** So, um. What are we reading?

_ A bold strategy to get us on topic. He’s still nervous talking in front of a group this big, but the darkness is helping him a little. _

**PV:** An excellent question. I think we’re a little unorganized, as a book club. Who volunteered to lead this, once again?

**NORIKO:** It was me. I don’t think organization is really paramount right now, since, again, we don’t have any other activities to plan around at the moment.

**PV:** That sounds easily remedied.

**YUI:** In any case, I’m in charge of the organization. Any complaints or passive aggressive comments can be directed at myself.

**PV:** I’ll make sure to remember that.

**SHUJI:** I’ve actually read this book before! Has anyone else?

**LANI:** I haven’t read a lot of Japanese novels, yet. I’ve mostly been focusing on technical reading since I got over here.

**ROXXY:** Can someone shine the light over here? I can’t read the title.

**FUMI:** Ah, it’s...Haru Tōkō and the Scholar’s Rock. This is a kid’s book, isn’t it?

**NORIKO:** I picked it because it’s going to be quick to read, so we can all discuss it more easily.

**HEIJI:** So how are we doing this? Do we all get a copy and read it and then reconvene?

**ISEI:** Snrk…

**FUMI:** Don’t laugh at him! He’s smart!

**HEIJI:** Nah, don’t worry. I’m dumb as hell. 

**ISEI:** Sorry, sorry. It’s just jarring, you know? The whole surfer bro persona and his vocabulary...I like it. It’s good.

**HEIJI:** Not to pull an Akiyama-san but I’m winking at you. You just can’t tell--

**ISEI:** I can’t tell cuz it’s dark. Got it.

**LANI:** I’m doing finger guns at both of you!

**NORIKO:** In answer to your question, Heiji-kun, since light is at a premium right now I was thinking one of us could read it out loud.

**YUI:** Additionally, it’s worth noting that there were only 3 copies of the book.

**SHUJI:** That’s still a lot for a personal library.

**KYO:** Maybe they kept forgetting they already had it and bought it again and again?

**PV:** Or...perhaps whoever bought it didn’t want to share it with their friends or family, so continued to buy new copies so everyone could read it?

**FUMI:** Maybe they got it as a gift! Three times!

**ISEI:** Isn’t the person who these books belong to most likely the Host? The person who put us all here?

**YUI:** I thought the same thing.

**ROXXY:** Um, but if someone’s down to commit crimes like kidnapping and murder, it seems like stealing a mansion would be small fry, right? Anyway, it’d be dumb to implicate yourself like that by having your own personal collection of books.

**FUMI:** ...so maybe they have so many copies because they stole from lots of people’s books?

**KYO:** Can you imagine? Stocking a library for your kidnap-torture-cult thing and you’re like ‘Well, gotta make sure we’ve got 3 copies of Haru Tōkō and the Scholar’s Rock, so better burgle some other bookshelves!’

**NORIKO:** Not to mention that they have multiple copies of every book in the series…

**LANI:** How many are there?

**YUI:** 7 total in the series, a handful of copies of each book.

**LANI:** That’s like a whole shelf dedicated to one series! Who is this book even by?

**ROXXY:** Oh, just some old lady who can’t keep her mouth shut. Don’t worry about it.

**ISEI:** Still, I think the preferences in this library might give us an idea of who put us here.

**PV:** Unless, of course, it’s all constructed simply to throw us off.

**SHUJI:** Hey, I think this is a conversation that isn’t really going to go anywhere right now. What if we focus on the book?

**FUMI:** Why can’t it?

**ROXXY:** Yeah, why not talk about it while we have the chance? 

**SHUJI:** Well, when do we  _ not _ have the chance? It’s like Noriko-san said. We don’t exactly have a lot going on right now.

**ISEI:** Besides trying not to kill each other.

**SHUJI** : Wanna know something weird? That takes literally zero energy from me. That’s not really a task I have to list.

_ I feel him shift in the dark, as if turning towards me, and I regret snapping at him. _

**ISEI:** Fair enough. But does everyone think that? How can we trust each other?

**NORIKO:** That’s the purpose of this book club. We want to get to know each other, in order to foster trust and understanding.

**LANI:** Yeah! If we just...if we’re friends nobody’s gonna get hurt.

**PV:** ...what about those of us who chose not to attend?

**ISEI:** I wouldn’t worry too much. Katherine-san and Miki-san are together, and I believe Bo-san intended to tag along with them. That makes a tidy group of three.

**YUI:** And I’m sure nobody expected Ama-san or Akiyama-san to join us.

_ A moment of silence falls. The idea of two of us off on their own, possibly killing or dying without anyone to notice, sits in my stomach like the Scholar’s Rock from the book we’re meant to be reading. They don’t mind being suspected, but I’m more worried about one of them getting hurt at this point. _

_ I can’t say for certain what everyone else is thinking. With the dim light from one person’s phone, aimed at the middle of the table, I can’t make out anyone’s expressions clearly. _

**LANI:** B-but hey! We’re all together, right?

_ Even in the darkness, he wants to try to be a source of light. I can appreciate that, even if I still have a really bad feeling in my stomach. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah! We’re together. And we’re reading Haru Tōkō and the Scholar’s Rock, I guess!

_ We hear the sound of the door opening before anyone can so much as crack open the book. Footsteps approach, but whoever it is stays outside of our meager light. Fumi shines her phone’s light over at them and reveals-- _

**KATA:** What the hell are all of you doing in here?

_ Oh, fantastic. _

_ He walks over to the table and grabs the book out of Noriko’s hands, reading the cover and tossing it back onto the table where it slides over to me. I look up at him, and in the low light, I see him smirk. _

**KATA:** Reading kids books, I see. Sounds about right for this group.

**FUMI:** If you’re going to be rude, do it somewhere else.

**KATA:** I’m curious. What do you think this will achieve? Everlasting peace within the group?

**SHUJI:** It’s better to try to get along than to isolate ourselves and practically ask to get hurt, Ama-san.

_ Kata’s smile is somehow ghoulish.  _

**KATA:** I’m not the one asking to get hurt, Saji. Watch yourself.

_ He steps out of the beam of light, grabs one of the laptops, and disappears out of the room. His absence leaves us in uncomfortable silence. _

**ROXXY:** What is his  _ deal _ ?!

**ISEI:** Yeah, did anyone else find that super threatening?

**KYO:** Ominous, to say the least.

**LANI:** Let’s...let’s ignore him. We’ve gotta find out what this book is all about...right?

_ There’s a slight tremor in his voice, despite his resolution to ignore Kata. Maybe he’s braver than I am, after all. I can’t help but feel sick after what he said. _

_ Regardless, I slide the book back toward Noriko. Fumi turns off her light, and Yui turns on one of her own to shine over Noriko’s shoulder, and she begins to read. _

**NORIKO:** Mr. and Mrs. Deushi, of number six--

_ She has a good reading voice. She projects without shouting, does voices for the characters, and manages to keep a steady pace throughout. She must have some history with kids. As a Knight, I guess it makes some sort of sense. Even still, I’m having a hard time focusing on the story.  _

_ After a while, the group descends into conversation again. We’re not exactly the most focused body of students, apparently, but I don’t mind. At least they’re talking about something other than death. _

_ I guess we didn’t do so bad, for a first run at a trust building exercise. We got more than half the group, at least, and nobody has descended into name calling. Though, without Masanori, name calling doesn’t seem to be as common anymore. _

_ Well, now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure Miki called me a cuck when I asked if they’d want to join this group. I think they were hungover? There’s still name calling. Just not as much. _

_ But my head keeps going back to Kata’s...threat? Warning? What  _ was _ that? What did he mean?  _

_ Eventually, the group breaks to get lunch or just do their own things. I feel guilty for not paying closer attention to the conversation, but as far as I can tell, everyone smiles at me as I take off. _

_ After making lunch for the group (nothing fancy, literally just grilled cheese sandwiches), I end up next to the swimming pool. _

_ Alone. _

_ Oops. _

_ I guess I’m a rule breaker. I’m sure Noriko won’t treat me too harshly. I take off my shoes and socks, roll up my pant legs, and stick my legs in the water. _

**SHUJI:** Oh, it’s heated.

_ If no one is around, it’s not weird to talk to myself. That’s the law. _

_ I pull the book Alena wrote out of my bag and set it in my lap, turning the light to see what I could learn from it.  _

_ Time passes. Most of this information isn’t super applicable right now, but it’s nice to spend time with Alena. As best I can, anyway. There are pictures to go with a lot of the instructions, as well as anecdotes from her life. I learn a lot about her from this book, sifting through the gardening tips to see her as a person. _

_ I learn that she had siblings, of which she was the oldest. I learn that her mother enrolled her in a public garden in an attempt to get her out of the house when she was young. I learn that she cared for that garden, as well as the garden on her tiny balcony at home, as much as she could care about a person. _

_ Tears come to my eyes, as only seems natural. Since nobody is around, I let them come. They trickle down my face and spatter the pages of the book. She didn’t deserve what happened to her. We all know that, of course, and I’m pretty sure nobody deserves to be murdered (except, like, Nazis probably), but the sense of injustice keeps sticking in my throat. Alena was helping people with her work. She was a good person who had difficulty expressing herself in a foreign language, and she was murdered. _

_ Being responsible for the punishment of her murderer somehow fails to make me feel better. Couldn’t he have gone to prison or something? Why did we have to see him die too? _

_ Justice...fairness...these concepts seem so nebulous in a place like this. But clinging to them is all I can do to try to stay a good person. _

_ Eventually I rub my eyes with the back of my hand and sniffle, wanting to be done with this emotion now. I cough, sniffle, and close the book. _

**BO:** It’s okay.

_ I jump so badly I nearly topple into the pool, but they grab my arm and keep me out of the water. Once I’m steady, I shine the light toward them, and see that they’re not wearing their hood. _

**SHUJI** : I--you--you scared me. I’m sorry.

**BO:** Why are you sorry? I scared  _ you _ . 

**SHUJI:** I don’t know! I get nervous and my first impulse is to apologize, I guess.

**BO:** Can I sit with you?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, but let’s sit somewhere else. I don’t want to fall in.

**BO:** Alright. It’s going to be okay.

**SHUJI:** Huh?

**BO:** You’re crying. It’s okay. I’ll protect you!

_ I look down at them. They’re a full 10 inches shorter than me. _

**SHUJI:** Okay. Where do you wanna go?

**BO:** ...the bathhouse still has lights.

**SHUJI:** What? No way!

**BO:** It’s the projector! Let’s go!

_ They grab my hand and drag me along with them, hardly giving me enough time to grab my shoes. I track water all the way through the tunnel and up the stairs until we’re in the bathhouse, and discover that Bo wasn’t lying. _

_ The image being projected looks like an evening sky. The purple and pink makes me think the sun hasn’t quite set yet--according to my phone it’s about 7 PM, so I guess it’s lined up more or less with the real time of day.  _

_ Since my shoes are still off, I shrug and stick my feet in the warm water, but stay outside of the water for the most part. Bo sits cross legged next to me, staring at the clouds streaking across the projected sky. _

**SHUJI:** How are you holding up?

_ They look over at me, illuminated from behind by the projector. Their eyes are purple. Have I really never seen them before? Their eyes are wide open, their pupils huge in the dim light. They look terrified. _

**BO:** I’m good. Great! You were crying, though. Can I help?

_ I lean back on my hands, and let myself watch the projector instead of trying to read every emotion on Bo’s face.  _

**SHUJI:** Did you know Alena had written a book?

_ There’s a rustling next to me. I glance over in time to see the end of Bo shaking their head. _

**SHUJI:** It’s good. It’s informative. It would be really helpful to lots of people. I mean, I’m sure it is helpful! I read it today.

**BO:** Oh…

**SHUJI:** That’s why I was crying. I didn’t even really get to know her--not really. She liked to follow me around but she never talked. I got to know her from reading that...reading that book of hers.

**BO:** I’m not...I’m not very good at Japanese, yet. I’m learning, still. But...I...I liked her. I was too loud for her, I think. She flinched when I talked. ‘Cuz I’m weird I guess.

**SHUJI:** She was weird too. I kinda liked that about her, you know? That whole deer in headlights look? It was a little funny, once you got used to it.

**BO:** I didn’t get to get used to it.

**SHUJI** : ...yeah. I’m not sure I did either. I get this feeling like we were really close, like we knew each other for ages, but I guess it was only a few days.

_ Bo nods, but other than tucking their knees up under their chin, doesn’t reply. I don’t know what else to do, so I keep talking. _

**SHUJI:** I’m scared that that’s what’s going to happen to other people. I’m scared they’ll...die. I’m scared people will die before I ever get the chance to know them, and I’ll be left with this hole. 

**BO:** It’ll be okay! Trust me! I’ve got family out there looking for me, and they wouldn’t let anything like a demon robot stop them!

_ I glance at them from the corner of my eye. It’s dark in here, of course, but I still get the vibe that something is amiss. _

**SHUJI:** Really? You’re not scared at all?

**BO:** Nope! I’m perfectly fine. It’ll be okay.

**SHUJI:** I’m terrified, Moreau-san. I’m freaked out from the dark, from the whole situation. I keep trying to be the positive guy, the one who insists nothing bad is going to happen, but I’m so scared.

_ Bo looks at me for a long moment before I see a tear slide down their face.  _

**BO:** I…

**SHUJI:** It’s alright, Moreau-san. It’s okay to be scared. 

**BO:** I’m scared of the dark.

**SHUJI:** That’s a start, at least. But hey, there’s this room with light in it, right? And if you stick to the groups, someone’s always got a phone light on.

**BO:** And I’m scared...I’m scared of all of this. I don’t know what to do.

**SHUJI:** It sounds like you just want to wait for your family. Why don’t you tell me about them?

**BO:** My family...right. They’re aliens, of course! They left me here so I could be an ambassador to Earth, and it’s my job to prove that...to prove that they’re real. That they left me here. Um.

**SHUJI:** Um? What’s up?

**BO:** Can I...tell you something?

**SHUJI:** As long as it isn’t a plan to murder someone.

**BO:** _[Laughing]_ Oh? Why not that?

**SHUJI:** I feel like Noriko-san would be better equipped to deal with that one. I’d just rather not know.

**BO:** Okay, can I tell you something that isn’t murder related?

**SHUJI:** I’d love to hear anything not murder related, honestly.

**BO:** I’m not an alien.

_ Somehow I had a feeling. _

**SHUJI:** Whoa, really? 

**BO:** You don’t have to pretend. I know nobody believes me. And I know I’m...I’m lying to myself. I know all of it.

**SHUJI:** Can I ask you something?

**BO:** Sure.

**SHUJI** : Why stop lying to yourself? Why tell me?

**BO:** I can only lie about so much. I can tell myself I’m an alien and my family is looking for me, or I can tell myself it’s all gonna be okay. Both is too much.

**SHUJI:** Alright. But why tell me?

**BO:** You don’t have parents.

_ Ouch. Okay, that came out of nowhere. It still hurts, no matter how much context it lacks. _

**SHUJI:** ...why do you say that?

**BO:** You cook, you take care of yourself. Lani-sama mentioned you sleep in hotels and on benches. So you’re like me! Without parents.

_ Since when is this oblivious alien kid actually observant? And here I thought I was being cagey. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah. I mean, I’ve got them. They don’t take care of me, though. I’ve lived with...I…

_ It’s like static in my brain. What I was about to say is on the tip of my tongue but...it’s gone. _

**SHUJI:** I’ve lived on my own for a while.

**BO:** Lucky.

**SHUJI:** Not sure I follow, buddy.

**BO:** Your parents were honest with you, at least. Mine lie to me. Ignore me. But feed me, so they’re ‘good’ people who ‘adopted’ me.

**SHUJI:** That’s a lot of air quotes.

**BO:** My dad...cheated on his wife. With my mom. She...she left me. Abandoned me. With him. I made up the whole alien thing when I was little so I felt like someone out there wanted me. My dad says she’s dead--my mom, I mean. So I’m on my own.

_ I nod slowly as they tell me all of this. This is pretty deep in their whole life story, and I’m not sure how to deal with them unloading all of this on me, but I do sorta get it. The feelings of abandonment and betrayal. Wanting to belong. I really do get it. _

**SHUJI:** You’re not on your own, you know.

**BO:** No, I am. My mom is dead and aliens...well, aliens are probably real. I’m pretty sure. But I’m not one. I’m a stupid human with a heart and a lung and elbows and everything.

**SHUJI:** ...only one lung?

**BO:** Why, how many do you have?

**SHUJI:** Two. Like I haven’t personally checked but I’m pretty sure people come with two of those things.

**BO:** Fine! Two lungs!

**SHUJI:** But, my point is that you’re not on your own. Think about people besides people who are related to you.

**BO:** I’ve got...I’ve got my film crew. They’re great. They’ve supported me through everything! One time, we were all trying to break into this government base out in Hawaii and--

**SHUJI:** So they’re your family now.

**BO:** What?

**SHUJI:** That’s family. People who stand by you through everything. People who love and trust you, as much as you love and trust them.

**BO:** That’s...family?

**SHUJI** : Family is what you make of it. Blood is meaningless. Who you choose to be your family is gonna be more true to who you are than anyone else.

**BO:** So you could be my family.

**SHUJI:** Hell yeah! We’ve got a lot in common, right?

**BO:** Shitty parents?

**SHUJI:** Check! Patches on our pants?

**BO:** Check! Lots of fear?

**SHUJI:** Oh, mega check! See? Lots.

**BO:** Alright...family. I feel a little better.

**SHUJI:** I’m glad. I do too. Having someone to talk to about all of this means a lot.

**BO:** Now you have to promise not to die. I don’t want to get to know you through a book, like Alena-sama.

**SHUJI:** Well that’ll be easy, since I haven’t written any books.

**BO:** Not funny! Don’t die!

**SHUJI:** I’ll work on it, okay? You do the same.

**BO:** Deal. Shake on it?

_ Bo and I spend the next 20 minutes working on developing the perfect secret handshake before they confess that they don’t want me to talk about what we discussed in the bath house today. I figure that means they won’t be going through a huge personality switch any time soon. Either way, we decide that our handshake will be used to signify anytime we need to talk ‘ _ Serious Serious,’ _ or if we just want to say hi. _

_ It works for me. _

_ I’ve never had a sibling before. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you guys know quite a bit more about Miki and Bo! And off brand Japanese Harry Potter. All very important, plot centric things, I assure you...
> 
> One more chapter after this until body drop! Who do you think is gonna die in this chapter? Am I telegraphing the deaths too obviously? Give me your thoughts! Seriously, even if your thought is "This sucks!" if you can follow it up with a "because of x, y, and z" I'll be grateful for your commentary! 
> 
> I love you guys. I hope you're liking the story!
> 
> Next update will be on September 10th!


	19. Chapter Two: Patience (6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji gets to spend some quality time with Fumi, and Bo arranges a seance. Somebody is going to get hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really long one, so get some snacks or something before you sit down to read it all!
> 
> The seance scene is directly inspired by [Dangan Ronpa: Dead on Arrival](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8276209/chapters/18959857) by my friend sou! If you like my sequence, go read it and tell sou you appreciate them!

_Things fall into a steady routine in the dark. We keep our phones charged, we stick in groups, we meet in the library every day to try to get through that book, I sometimes have people help me cook. It’s good. It’s fine._

_Days pass, and as each day passes the fear seems a little less real. Every day that nobody dies makes it all feel like maybe nobody will. It makes it feel like we’ll all survive this. That Alena and Masanori were flukes._

_Our caution lags, as a result. People stop being quite as vigilant about staying in groups of three or more. Katherine and Miki are openly dating, which we all pretty much saw coming, and don’t seem to be quite so scared of the consequences._

_It gets easier to breathe, as a result. I’m no longer tangled up in my doubt and fear and paranoia, and I let myself settle into the peace._

_After book club and lunch, 4 days into the darkness, I decide to seek out some people to hang out with instead of trying to read or nap (as has become my habit--it’s dark and my circadian rhythm is all fucked, leave me alone). I take the opportunity to look over the dossiers again._

_I’ve been adding little notes as I get to know people, little observations and things that might help me to remember. It’s probably super creepy, and I hope nobody finds these, but it’s been useful._

**[Select: Fumi]**

_Fumi seems like a solid bet for a mellow afternoon. She’s been diligently attending the book club, studiously taking up the job of reading aloud when called upon despite how often she stumbles over her words, and despite the fact that she says we don’t need a solid leader I honestly see her as one of the role models of the group._

_At least she’s around to make sure that all of us wash our hands before meals. That means something._

_I find her in the swimming pool, doing meandering laps around the pool. She’s put her phone on flashlight mode next to the pool, but not so close that it would get wet. Which means, naturally, that it’s far enough away to be minimally useful. I squat next to the phone and wait for her to notice me._

**FUMI:** Oh! Shuji-kun!

_She pulls up to the side of the pool, resting her arms on the edge comfortably._

**SHUJI:** How’s it hanging?

 **FUMI:** Good enough, I guess. Are you going to scold me for not being in a group?

 **SHUJI:** Do you see me with a group?

 **FUMI:** [Laughs.] No. I suppose we make a pair, at least. Would you like to swim with me?

 **SHUJI:** Oh...Um.

 **FUMI:** Why the hesitation? It’s not like you’ve been getting too much exercise in here. It’ll be good for you.

 **SHUJI:** Well swimming in a binder is a little…

 **FUMI:** Put on a t shirt! I got one from the gacha machine, if you only have sweaters.

 **SHUJI:** I don’t really want to be seen without it, you know?

 **FUMI:** Shuji-kun, can you see what expression I’m making?

 **SHUJI** : ...

 **FUMI** : …

 **SHUJI** : ...no.

 **FUMI:** Exactly. Now get in here! It’s good for your heart!

_Uh oh, she used the Mom voice. The voice that compels me to do the dishes and take out the garbage without even mentioning chores. It’s powerful, and I end up in the changing room before fully thinking through the situation._

_Huh._

_Sure enough, there is a shirt on one of the benches. Peering at it with my phone’s flashlight, I see that it says MAKE A WOMAN CUM FOR ONCE with an image of a pink peach. Delightful. I am very glad it will be dark, despite it being a cause worth representing._

_I change into school issues swim trunks and the peach shirt and reemerge to face my Maker._

_Fumi is peacefully doing laps in the pool again, moving at her own pace. She hears the changing room door close and lifts up a hand to wave in my general direction, despite the fact that she can’t see me._

_I step into the water carefully, worrying way too much about slipping, and Fumi follows the sound of my tentative splashing to swim over to me._

**FUMI:** Nice shirt, huh?

 **SHUJI:** It’s...something.

 **FUMI:** [Laughing.] Yeah, it’s a little much. Especially for a mom to wear. Though, on the other hand…

 **SHUJI:** On the other hand??

 **FUMI:** Well, I’d think mothers are most...uh...interested in the...issue. At hand. So would be most likely to represent the...cause?

 **SHUJI:** You make it sound like a political issue.

 **FUMI:** Oh no…

 **SHUJI:** No, I love it. That’s hilarious.

 **FUMI:** Oh! I’m glad! I think. Anyway, I probably won’t be wearing it around too much.

 **SHUJI:** Fair enough. You might as well wear it while it’s dark, though. Can you imagine the fit Akiyama-san would throw if she found out you were wearing that when she couldn’t see it?

 **FUMI:** [Snorts.] The look on her face might be worth it. But for now, you should get swimming. You can’t distract me from a healthy work out!

_I laugh, but she’s already off. I start after her, doing slow strokes and trying to be consistent if not quick. I haven’t gone swimming in ages, not since way before I came out, and even then it was more like splashing around in the ocean._

_Fumi might be moving at what seems to be a leisurely pace, but she laps me multiple times, stopping to give me words of encouragement as I lag further and further behind. It’s more rewarding than I had thought, however, especially with her kind words._

_Before I know it, almost an hour has passed of me struggling to maintain form while she easily traverses the water._

**SHUJI:** [Out of breath] You Kaimi twins really are built for the water, aren’t you?

 **FUMI:** I should hope so! We grew up right on the water, if we didn’t learn how to swim...Well, I guess we’d sink!

 **SHUJI** : I expected it from Heiji, but not so much from you. No offense! I just thought you were more of the indoor type.

 **FUMI:** I definitely am, compared to my brother. He’s always out on the water, while I usually stay on the beach under an umbrella and work, or watch Hisato play.

 **SHUJI:** I guess since your dad owns a surf shop, it makes sense that he’d encourage it, right?

 **FUMI:** Good memory, Shuji-kun! Yeah, my dad had us out in the surf before we could hardly walk. It was not the wisest, maybe, but he definitely did it with good intentions.

 **SHUJI:** I don’t know a lot about kids and development. Why would that not be a good idea?

 **FUMI:** Well...Heiji nearly drowned. It’s not a story I’m fond of telling, because it makes our parents look irresponsible.

_I shrug, though she can’t see it._

**SHUJI:** I think it’s just about like...percentages, right?

 **FUMI:** I don’t follow.

 **SHUJI:** If you spend 100% of your time in the ocean, you’ve gotta be more likely to drown than people like me, who’ve been there only a handful of times. It’s like how most accidents happen around the home. Homes aren’t particularly more dangerous than other places, it’s just where you’re most likely to be.

 **FUMI:** An apt metaphor for my brother. He’s definitely at home in the ocean…

 **SHUJI:** So I don’t think your parents are necessarily irresponsible. It just happens, right?

 **FUMI:** Heiji hates it when I say it sounds irresponsible. He tells the story like it’s his superhero origin story.

_I hear her sigh, and feel the water move as if she’s turning away. Uh oh, this doesn’t seem like a good conversation. I scramble for a moment in my head before figuring out what to say._

**SHUJI:** It seems like every time we talk, we end up talking about your brother. Why don’t we talk about you?

 **FUMI:** [Surprised.] I’m not sure what we’d talk about! I could tell you more about Hisato...or my father, or…

 **SHUJI:** What about _you_?

 **FUMI:** You know me!

 **SHUJI:** I don’t think I do! We’re friendly acquaintances, and I respect you, but I don’t know a lot about you.

 **FUMI:** [Stern.] If you expect me to just divulge my entire past…

 **SHUJI:** I don’t!

_I’ve kind of had enough of that this week, anyway._

**SHUJI:** What do you like to do in your freetime, Fumi-chan?

 **FUMI:**...I like to read romance novels. And play otome games.

 **SHUJI:** Sounds like your life revolves around romance, a bit. Roxxy-chan said you write a lot of love notes for people, too?

 **FUMI:** I do. People often have a hard time expressing what they’re feeling, and I help…

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, I know! It just seems like love is a big part of your life.

 **FUMI:** [Grumbling.] Not as much as you’d think.

 **SHUJI:** What?

 **FUMI:** Oh, I’ve really only had one boyfriend. And that...um…

 **SHUJI:** Aren’t you...I’m sorry, I really did not get a straight vibe from you.

 **FUMI:** [Sighs.] Yeah, neither did I. Didn’t stop me from trying, though. Trying a little too hard, I guess.

_Trying too hard to be...straight? Uh oh, I think I can see where this is going._

**SHUJI:** So that one boyfriend. Was he Hisato-kun’s dad?

_Fumi sighs deeply and floats onto her back._

**FUMI:** Yes. I love Hisato, you understand. But the circumstances of him coming into the world...Less than ideal. Without my parents to support me, I don’t know what I would have done.

 **SHUJI:** Harsh.

 **FUMI:** ...yeah. I guess.

 **SHUJI:** I mean, damn. That’s a hard situation. You must be really strong to have...I can’t even imagine.

 **FUMI:** Being a teen mom? Yeah. Not exactly what I had in my career plan growing up, but Hisato--and his father--has helped me figure out a lot about myself. First of all, I’m a lesbian.

 **SHUJI:** Congrats.

 **FUMI:** On being a lesbian?

 **SHUJI:** Hell yeah. Good job.

_I clap wetly, and hear her giggle._

**FUMI:** Thanks, I guess! It took me longer than it should have to figure it out. Heiji always knew he was gay, like since he was born. It was so...easy for him. It doesn’t matter, ultimately. It’s not like I can date with a little kid, you know?

 **SHUJI:** I have the feeling someone would be willing to date you despite that.

 **FUMI:** Shuji-kun. I’m gay.

 **SHUJI:** Not me! I meant--

 **FUMI:** [Laughing] I was kidding! I have an idea of someone who might...who I might like. But I don’t know…

_Before she could go into further detail, we hear heels clicking against the tile of the area around the pool, and turn toward the sound. Someone carrying a light to illuminate their way enters, and stops by the edge of the pool._

_Fumi and I swim over to the edge, trying to take a gander at who might be coming to swim with us._

**YUI:** Are you swimming? In the dark?

 **FUMI:** You could join us! It’s a good work out! Shuji-kun is here too.

 **YUI:** I can see that. I don’t think I will join you.

 **SHUJI:** What brings you to the pool, if not swimming?

 **YUI:** Fumi-chan, actually.

 **FUMI:** Wow, I’m popular today.

 **YUI:** I was thinking about the note you wrote for the wake.

 **FUMI:** Oh, that…

 **YUI:** Did you finish it?

 **FUMI:** I did. But the Fey interrupted our plans for that particular party, so we never got around to reading it.

 **YUI:** That’s what I suspected. You are a professional, after all.

 **FUMI:** I don’t have it with me, if that’s what you want.

_This is like seeing your mother get scolded by an older aunt; the whole power dynamic of the situation is confusing._

**YUI:** I didn’t mean to bother you. I just thought it was a shame that you worked so hard on it and nobody got to read it.

_There’s a smile in her voice, and I can practically feel tension bleed out of Fumi. Phew…_

**FUMI:** Here, I’ll get out and we can read it together. But, at the end, the intention was to burn it.

 **SHUJI:** Burn it?

 **YUI:** Yes. The note is addressed to those who have passed away, so...it seemed fitting for the note itself to pass away as well.

 **FUMI:** It’s sort of a way of moving on, I think.

_I nod as we make our way to the steps of the pool and get out. I let Fumi get changed first, both of us desiring privacy, and return her shirt to her once I’m back in my sweater. I’m still slightly damp, which makes putting my binder on a little tricky, but I’d rather not keep the ladies waiting._

_By the time I get out there, Yui is looking over the note with the light from her phone. It illuminates both of them eerily, and once again I’m given the impression of people telling scary stories at a sleepover. Just this time, it’s people reading thoughts aimed at the dead._

_Hmm._

**YUI:** [Wiping away a tear.] That was beautiful, Fumi-chan.

 **FUMI:** I tried. Thank you. Would you like to read it, Shuji-kun?

 **SHUJI:** Oh, sure.

_I take it, trying not to get the paper too wet, and pull out my phone. The note is shorter than I’d initially imagined, only taking up the one page. It describes feelings of sorrow, of regret, but also over understanding and hope. It talks about Masanori and Alena not just as people we lost or failed, but as representatives of both where we went wrong and how we could do better._

_Before I know it, I’m tearing up._

_I cough awkwardly before handing the note back to Fumi._

**SHUJI:** You sure do write good.

 **YUI:** Eloquently put.

 **FUMI:** [Snorts.] Thank you! I actually like the less eloquent compliments. They seem less constructed.

 **SHUJI** : Ahem. So. Um. When do we burn this bad boy?

_Yui produces a lighter, and lights it._

**FUMI:** [Disapproving.] Is that yours?

 **YUI:** Of course not. Smoking is reprehensible.

 **FUMI:** So you stole it?

 **YUI:** Please, don’t proselytize. Someone else already stole it from Akiyama-san for the fireplace in the sitting room, but since Agyros-san met her end, nobody has been wanting to spend time there. It was practically given away.

 **FUMI:** Hmm.

 **YUI:** May I light this?

 **FUMI:** Go ahead.

_Yui lights the paper, which struggles with the fire for a moment due to being touched by my damp hands, but takes to it soon enough. As the paper burns, we can see each other clearly for the first time since the wake._

_I’m stricken by how tired we look. Yui, who is normally the best example I could think of for being put together at all times, looks like she hasn’t properly brushed her hair in ages. Fumi’s hair is flat and tangled from the pool._

_The paper burns, and none of us says a word. We look at each other, and the flames, and we’re left to our thoughts. Thoughts of exhaustion, thoughts of death, thoughts of mourning. But, by the time the paper is gone, I’m left with thoughts of relief._

_I guess that was the goal, after all. We get catharsis from this act of mild destruction. We’re forced, physically, to let go of those feelings._

_It’s food for thought, at least._

* * *

 

 **SHUJI:** Alright, but I’m gonna need a Serious-Serious shake on this before I commit.

_Bo nods vigorously, and we engage in our hand flapping, slapping, gripping and grabbing before spinning around twice and tapping each other’s shoulders._

_Okay, so I guess they’re serious._

**SHUJI:** So...a seance?

 **BO:** Yes!

 **SHUJI:** ...to contact Alena and Masanori?

 **BO:** Do you have a better way to talk to them?

 **SHUJI:** You’ve got me there, I guess. Alright, shoot. What do you need my help for?

_Bo details a plan. A plan that they have written on a napkin. I don’t even know where they got napkins that aren’t made of cloth. Either way, I’m pretty impressed. It involves gathering each member of our group into the dining room, lighting candles, and joining hands to attempt to contact the dead._

_It’s definitely not the sort of thing I’d_ usually _do on a Saturday night, but to be fair, I don’t actually know what day it is. And, as Bo would say with confidence, time is fake anyway._

_I think back to the faint feelings of closure and catharsis I was able to get from burning a piece of paper. I suppose a seance is no less silly than all that, and if the whole group could get something out of it...it might be worth it, right?_

_So, obviously, I agree._

_I spend the next 45 entire minutes trying to track down everyone in the dark and urging them into showing up in the dining room. It’s about as hard as it sounds; getting Katherine and Miki to stop looking deeply into each other’s eyes long enough to notice me is the least of it. Heiji was underwater, and I ended up having to stick my entire leg into the pool before he figured out I was there. Kata just stared at me when I asked. So, who knows, I guess._

_Either way, it gives Bo enough time to set things up in the dining room._

_Everyone starts trickling in around 6 PM. Usually not the witching hour, as I understand it, but it’s so dark in here it might as well be._

_People have taken up the habit of announcing their presence, even if they’re expected, so it’s easy to keep track of who will be joining us for a spooky evening._

**KYO:** I’m here! Ooh, candles!

 **YUI:** I had planned on conserving those for an emergency...hm.

 **KYO:** Lighten up! Get it? Light? This’ll be fun.

_Somehow it makes sense that these two would be the most punctual._

**ROXXY:** I loooove ghost stories! I hope this house is haunted!

 **FUMI:** Roxxy, that’s not a good thing!

 **ROXXY:** By good ghosts!

 **FUMI:** That’s still scary…

 **ROXXY:** Don’t worry! I’ll--

 **NORIKO:** I’ll protect all of us.

 **ROXXY:** \--protect you!

_Even in the dark I feel like I can sense Roxxy’s glare. Noriko can’t be that oblivious, can she? Either way, the three settle into seats around the table soon enough._

**AIKA:** I wouldn’t miss this in a million years.

 **PV:** Do you genuinely believe in spirits and the afterlife?

 **AIKA:** I’m willing to be convinced.

 **ISEI** : That’s...surprisingly open minded of you.

 **AIKA:** Nah. Mostly I’m here to see everyone shit themselves in fear. Psychological and physical reactions to fear are always hilarious.

 **PV:** You’re terrible.

_For some reason, I would have guessed that Aika is the type to lead this thing, not mock it. Then again, I haven’t really gone out of my way to get to know her too intimately. They take their seats, still bickering lightly as they do so._

**KATHERINE:** We’re here.

 **MIKI:** We’re here!

 **KATHERINE:** I said that.

 **MIKI:** Yeah, I liked it so much I repeated it.

 **KATHERINE:** ...tch. Cute.

 **MIKI:** C’mon, let’s go to ghost town! It’s ghost time babey!

 **Katherine:** [Laughs.]

_Well, Miki seems to be in a better mood at least. I’ll count the small blessings I guess._

_Next comes Kata. He steps into the small lighted area, looks at me, scowls, and takes a seat. He stares into space, into the blackest corner of the room, and occasionally glances at me as everyone else enjoys conversations._

_I’m starting to really get creeped out by that guy._

**LANI:** I FOUND HIM!

_Lani storms in, dragging Heiji behind him._

**HEIJI:** I am so sorry guys! I got caught up drying my hair, and then I was brushing it, and then I got distracted…

 **LANI:** And I was left walking around in the dark! Waiting for like a murderer or a ghost or arghh…

 **HEIJI:** I said I’m sorry! I’ll say it again! [Sincerely.] From the bottom of my heart, my bad, dude.

_Fumi’s snort of laughter succinctly breaks the tension from Kata’s arrival as the last two finally sit down._

**BO:** Everyone’s here! Are we ready?

 **YUI:** I feel like I have to protest this whole situation. We’re wasting resources--

 **LANI:** They’re just candles!

 **YUI:** And perhaps unnecessarily scaring the group.

 **KATHERINE:**...there is a chance of this going poorly, too.

 **MIKI:** Poorly how?

 **KATHERINE:** If we call the spirits but they don’t go back when we’re done with them.

 **AIKA** : Oh, yum. A believer.

 **ISEI:** Seriously? You believe in all that? Ghosts and spirits? I thought it was universally accepted as dumb and fake. No offense, of course.

 **KATHERINE:** None taken. But you’re wrong.

 **ISEI:** Do you have any real world evidence that ghosts are real?

 **MIKI:** Do you have evidence that they’re not?

 **ISEI:** The burden of proof isn’t really on me, in this case.

_Bo slams their hands on the table, getting everyone’s attention in a heartbeat._

**BO:** You don’t believe that there are energies attached to people? And that when someone’s life is ended violently, that energy is somehow expelled? You don’t think that those energies could want closure from that violence?

 **ISEI:** [Arms crossed.] …

 **BO:** Fine. You don’t have to believe. But don’t come here and trash what we believe, okay?

 **ISEI:** Fair enough. You have my apologies. Carry on.

 **BO:** Shuji-sama, come on and take a seat. You’re the last one.

_Oops. That I am. I head to the last remaining seat (Bo had removed any extras so that everyone would be forced to sit next to each other) next to Kata. He looks at me unblinklingly and I try very hard not to notice._

**YUI:** But I’m still not sure I understand the...point. Of this.

 **NORIKO:** Yui-chan, I don’t think you should dismiss something just because you don’t understand it. Spirituality comes in all forms, and people find solace in things others couldn’t possibly understand.

 **YUI** : I...wow…

 **NORIKO:** Was that too dorky to say?

 **YUI:** Not at all. I retract my nay saying, and am ready to begin.

 **BO:** Thank you! Okay, has anyone been to a seance before?

_The silence is overwhelming._

**BO:** O-okay! I can figure this out. Don’t worry!

 **KATA:** You’ve never done one before either? Should’ve known…

 **BO:** I’m not an idiot, okay. I’ve watched movies.

 **KATA:** As if the two are mutually exclusive. Right. This is such a bad idea.

 **LANI:** If you think it’s a bad idea, then leave.

 **AIKA:** I’ve heard having non believers in the group will make spirits angry. I’m interested to see what an angry spirit looks like in a house already tainted by murder…

 **LANI:** Stop trying to scare people! It’s so mean!

 **MIKI:** She’s not trying to scare _people_. Just you.

 **LANI:** Well I don’t like it!

 **KATA:** [Standing up.] Then maybe _you_ should leave, you fucking toddler.

 **SHUJI:** Cut it out! What is the point of this argument? Nothing good can come from this.

 **KATA:** I’m not responsible for a little kid getting scared. I’m also not responsible for your wellbeing.

 **NORIKO:** Stop. We have to live with each other whether we want to or not, so everyone needs to behave. Lani-kun, I respect your desire to intervene, but there’s no need to shout. Ama-san, kindly shut the hell up or we’ll have to escort you out.

 **AIKA:** I wonder if using Kata-san’s surname and Lani-san’s given name was a jab. After all, one certainly conveys more respect. Hmm.

 **SHUJI:** It’s because they’re friends, you don’t need to read into it.

 **AIKA:** Perhaps you should be reading into other people’s words more. Just an idea.

 **KYO:** Alright everybody, settle down. We were all affected by Masanori and Alena’s deaths, somehow. That’s why we’re all here. So let’s just...have a minute of unity, okay? I think we’re grown up enough to handle that.

 **YUI:** Seconded.

 **SHUJI:** Okay, let’s let Bo do their thing.

 **BO:** Cool. So. I’ve prepared this bowl of water, since I couldn’t find a spirit board in the supply closet. We’re going to light these candles, put the bowl of water in the middle of the table, and hold hands.

 **MIKI:** Easy, I’m already holding hands!

 **AIKA:** ...they meant with everyone. Not just your girlfriend.

 **MIKI:** Hmm. Less easy.

 **KATHERINE:** [Blushing] Stop it…

 **MIKI:** You want me to?

 **KATHERINE:** No.

 **HEIJI:** [Affectionately] Haha! Guys, you’re being gross!

 **FUMI:** I think it’s cute.

 **AIKA:** I’m going to vomit.

 **BO:** So while I light the candles, everyone should think of questions they want to ask.

 **KATA:** Oh, I have one. Why are we wasting our time pretending this alien idiot knows--gh!

_Without thinking, I elbow him in the ribs. Hard. Enough to stop him in his tracks._

_He turns to me with the angriest expression I’ve ever seen in my life. If he could kill me with a look, I’d be mega dead. His upper lip lifts in a silent snarl, and his usually vibrant eyes seem dark with implied violence._

_Holy shit, dude._

**LANI:** Kata, shut the hell up. We already agreed to be grown ups.

 **BO:** Okay, everybody be quiet.

_The soft reverence in their voice as they light the candles (using the lighter I borrowed from Yui earlier today) effectively shushes the group with better luck than any attempt so far. With their hood down, and their large eyes focused intently on each flame, I almost find myself believing in ghosts for a moment._

_After all, they believe so thoroughly._

**BO:** [Hushed; reverent] Everyone join hands, please.

_Dutifully, everyone reaches out to their right and their left and clasps hands with their neighbors. As Bo takes a seat, they grab my right hand. I squeeze it comfortingly, and they shoot me a grateful look. Unfortunately, Kata grabs my left hand._

_Is his hand...crinkly?_

_What kind of fucked up lizard skin does he have??_

_I try to ignore it._

**BO:** Tonight, we’re gathered to call the spirits of Alena Agyros and Masanori Nishimuraya, whose lives were taken in this very house. I can speak for most of us when I say...um. We feel bad.

_They trail off, and I peek over at them. They look nervous, and I have a feeling Japanese is currently failing them. I squeeze their hand again, and chime in._

**SHUJI:** Many of us feel responsible for the violence that happened here.

 **BO:** We invite the spirits to talk to us. We have questions, and maybe answers.

_Silence. Everyone seems to be holding their breath, for fear of interrupting the absolute quiet that’s fallen over us._

**BO:** If any of the deceased mentioned are present can you please, um...mess up the water?

 **PV:** The word you’re looking for is disturb. Disturb the water.

 **BO:** [Irritated] Can you please disturb the water?

_Part of me expects more corrections, or scoffing, or Kata just being an absolute disaster to the group. I don’t think a single bone in my body expects it when the water seems to ripple in the bowl itself, the table shaking slightly._

_Gasps fill the room, ranging from incredulous to afraid to delighted. Bo’s hand grips mine tightly, to the point that it almost hurts. Kata does not move or make a sound._

**BO:** Is this..is that Nishimuraya-sama or Agyros-sama?

_The water ripples again, this time more firmly; water almost splashes out of the bowl._

**LANI:** [With baited breath.] Which? Is it both of you?

 **KATHERINE:** Yes or no questions. Let’s make it simple.

 **LANI:** Um. Is this Agyros-san?

_Despite his hopeful tone, he’s greeted with silence and stillness._

**ROXXY:** Is it Nishi-chan? Please say something!

_The bowl rocks from side to side, water spilling from it before it settles into stillness once more. Am I holding my breath?_

**FUMI:** [Hushed] It’s him!

 **KYO:** Holy shit.

 **AIKA:** I guess it’s finally time to find out if I give therapy to ghosts. Hey, Masanori? Is it true that your insecurities drive you to lash out because you have a tiny dick? Haha.

 **NORIKO:** Is this really the time?

 **AIKA** : Hey, why don’t _you_ pass up a once in a lifetime opportunity?

 **HEIJI:** Wasn’t it just an opportunity for a joke?

 **AIKA:** My point stands.

_There’s no response from the bowl, so I guess the spirit...or whatever...doesn’t feel like humoring her. I, for one, am pretty glad for that outcome._

**SHUJI:** Hey, he tried to attack The Fey with a shoe once when he was alive. Let’s not antagonize the murderous ghost, right?

_At that, the bowl shakes furiously, water sloshing all around._

_I don’t way to say that I scream, but I might squeak. In a very strong, tough, not afraid kind of way._

**KATA** : Looks like he’s mad about something. Maybe calling him murderous antagonizes him, huh? God, you’re an idiot.

_I want to glare at him, but my eyes are stuck on the bowl. I’m definitely holding my breath now._

**LANI:** [Voice shaking] Uh! Is there a way we could...appease you?

 **ISEI:** You really think you’re dealing with an angry ghost?

 **KATHERINE:** You still don’t believe?

 **ISEI:** Even if it were true, he murdered Agyros. Shouldn’t _he_ be appeasing _us?_

 **MIKI:** Great, now we’re gonna be haunted. And murdered! Yuck!

 **KYO:** I’m on board with appeasing this pissed off murder ghost. No offense.

 **BO:** No, you’ll make him mad again!

_All eyes turn back to the bowl of water, but things are still._

**SHUJI:** So he only gets mad when I call him a murderer?

_And just like that, water is practically spilling in my lap with the ferocity of the disturbance._

**KATA:** It looks like it’s mad at Saji in particular. Maybe because of the, you know, evident betrayal.

 **AIKA:** Mm. He did personally convince all of us that Nishimuraya was the killer. And didn’t he say they were friends? What a fuck up.

 **SHUJI:** That’s--

_I cut myself off before I can put my foot in my mouth with a potentially hostile ghost in the room. I do, partially, hold myself responsible for Masanori’s death. How can I not? But...it was The Fey who is truly responsible. Right?_

_...Right?_

**SHUJI:** Fuck.

 **MIKI:** Holy shit, you bought that?

 **KATHERINE:** What?

 **MIKI:** He’s gonna accept judgement like that? From Akiyama-san of all fucking people?

 **NORIKO:** They’re not wrong. All of us are responsible, in part, however. I do not place any extra judgement on Shuji-kun.

 **YUI:** Apparently this...spirit...does, though.

 **SHUJI:** …

 **BO:** We’ll ask. Nishimuraya-sama, are you angry at Shuji-sama in particular?

_The water ripples a steady ‘yes.’_

_To reiterate:_ fuck.

_Bo surges on regardless._

**BO:** Is there a way to appease you?

_The bowl rocks in place._

**FUMI:** How?!

 **PV:** Remember, yes or no questions or it’s a bust.

 **KYO:** Do you want...uh...money?

_Nothing._

**AIKA:** Sex?

 **ROXXY:** Ew!

_Nothing._

**NORIKO:** Forgiveness…?

_Nothing._

**ISEI:** ...redemption?

_Nothing._

**KATA:** Revenge?

_The bowl, now mostly empty of water, rattles._

_Oh god._

**YUI:** Revenge against...all of us?

_Nothing._

**KATHERINE:** Revenge against one of us.

_The bowl shakes affirmatively._

**LANI:** Revenge against Shuji-kun?

_The bowl almost jumps off of the table with a large thump._

**ISEI:** Wait a minute…

 **BO:** That can’t be right!

 **AIKA:** The ghost spoke. [Smirks.] Everyone knows ghosts make the laws.

 **HEIJI:** Whoa, they do? That is so unfair! How do you vote for a ghost?

 **FUMI:** [Softly.] Heiji…

 **YUI:** I’m more interested in the practicality. How exactly are we supposed to enact revenge against him on behalf of a spirit?

 **KATA:** Seems pretty straightforward to me.

 **LANI:** It doesn’t to me! What the hell are you implying?

 **KATA:** I...hold on…

 **BO:** What’s happening?!

_Kata slowly rises from his seat, still holding hands with Lani and I. He throws his head back, which rolls around on his shoulders._

**AIKA:** Holy shit, is he pretending to be possessed? This is awesome.

 **LANI:** Wait, I don’t like this.

 **KATA:** Shhh….uuuu…..

_His fingers come untangled from mine, and his arms slowly rise above his head as he rotates to face me._

_Okay, so this is how I’m going to die. It’s been a good one, world. I would’ve liked it without some of the murder shit, but you know. Good job on the ocean and stuff._

*SLAP*

 **SHUJI:** Ow! What the hell!

 **KATA:** Pffthaha...I mean...The ghost of christmas assholes possessed...hehahaha! He possessed me!

_That motherfucker slapped me. Hard._

_I stand up and shove him until he stumbles into his hair, still cackling._

**LANI:** What the hell man! Seriously!

 **ISEI:** I fucking knew it. What a creep.

 **MIKI:** I’m sorry but that _was_ pretty funny...

_Now most of us are standing, and I come to realize my hand is still crinkly. While people berate or congratulate Kata for the prank, I look down and realize I’m holding a piece of paper. I uncrumple it and hold it near a candle to get an idea of what it says._

**SHUJI:** Oh fuck no.

 **ROXXY:** What is it?

_I hold out the note and read it aloud for everyone to hear._

**SHUJI:** “Meet me at midnight in the bath house. I think I know a way to escape this place, but I’ll need your help.” Signed Kata Ama.

 **NORIKO:** Shuji-kun, don’t go to that.

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, I wasn’t planning on it.

 **LANI:** What! Is your deal!

 **HEIJI:** You hafta realize this is coo coo bananas, right?

 **KATA:** Cute, you’re trying to prank me back. How long have you had that note, buddy?

 **SHUJI:** What are you talking about?

 **AIKA:** Does anybody know how to make popcorn?

 **PV:** You can’t seriously expect us to think Shuji-san is framing you.

_Yui whistles, long and sharp. Everyone turns in faint surprise to see her with two fingers in her mouth. Once she has our attention, she indicates Kyo with a gesture._

**KYO:** Alright, so what we’ve got is your classic he-said he-said situation. Do you guys know where this is gonna go?

_They’ve shifted into an amicable storyteller tone of voice, which is shockingly calming in this increasingly hostile environment._

**FUMI:** Um. To figuring it out?

 **KYO:** [Winks.] Good try, princess. Actually, it’s going to get us nowhere. None of us have any way of providing an alibi for the origin of the note...How am I doing?

 **YUI:** Excellently.

 **KYO:** So it means this argument is pointless. We’re gonna treat it like Schrodinger’s Murder Note. Neither did it, and both of them do it.

 **NORIKO:** But one _is_ innocent, while the other is guilty.

 **KYO:** Yep! But we can’t figure out who. So what we’re gonna do is this; nobody is going to go to the bathhouse at midnight. Easy peasy, right?

 **ROXXY:** Okay, like, Kyo-chan. I support you! I do! But that sounds pretty remarkably similar to Shu-chan’s plan to have nobody kill each other last week. No offense!

 **KYO:** I’m loving the support. But this time everyone here knows the consequences for murder, right? And if either Ama-san or Saji-san turn up dead, we’ll know exactly who to blame.

 **ROXXY:** Wasn’t it Miki-chan who said that nobody here was dumb enough to murder? Like…

 **MIKI:** Well Nishimuraya was dumb as a rock. Like, that’s been established.

 **AIKA:** We’re leaving them at their own mercy...interesting…

 **LANI:** I just want to say I disapprove of any plan Akiyama-san approves of. As a blanket statement.

 **FUMI:**...Agreed.

 **YUI** : And you have an alternative?

 **LANI:** Um...tie Kata up?

 **MIKI:** And not Shuji-kun?

 **NORIKO:** I have a had time believing Shuji-kun would kill anyone.

 **AIKA:** It seems like a pretty functional cover, in that case.

 **KATA:** I’m not letting you tie me up. That’s final.

 **SHUJI:** Ugh, I’m sorry, but this is all exhausting. I agree not to go to the shady murder location at midnight. I’m going to bed.

_I throw my hands up and walk off, steamed beyond words. As I go, I hear people talking._

**KATHERINE:** Hmm.

 **FUMI:** You don’t think he’s a murderer, do you?

 **KATHERINE:**...He didn’t make dinner yet.

_Oh my god._

_By the time I make it to my room, I’ve cooled off a little. But this whole situation is ridiculous. Kata clearly passed me that note, and trying to frame me for it? Not to mention trying to convince everyone that Masanori’s ghost was out to get me?_

_It’s not like I executed him!_

_Although I did vote for his execution. And convince everyone else to do the same thing._

_But it’s not like he was even sorry for what he did to Alena!_

_But...did he deserve to die for it?_

_I roll over in bed, smashing the pillow into my face, and scream for a while._

_I don’t know what to do, or what to think. I feel guilty, and responsible, and like nothing I ever do will make this feel better. I can’t even tell if Kata is being unfair anymore. Has he been being such a creepy weirdo all week because of the trial? Because I am basically directly responsible for Masanori’s death?_

_Do I deserve this?_

_I don’t know._

* * *

 

 **THE FEY:** It is now 7 in the morning. If you don’t get up now, you may never get up again! Does anyone else have a good feeling about today?

_Well, that’s the first sign that something about today is going to suck._

_The second sign is that I wake up grouchy and in my clothes from yesterday. Apparently I anger napped all the way through the night, and I forgot to plug my phone in. I roll over with a groan and try to get it to plug in approximately six times before getting it right._

_This is why I’m not SHSL Good Luck._

_...or am I?_

_Without an answer to that question, I get changed into clean clothes and walk to the kitchen. Damn, it really is dark without a flashlight. It’s a shame my glow sticks ran out of juice ages ago. I stumble along, trailing one hand along the wall to keep me on track, until I enter the dining room._

**SHUJI:** Anyone in here?

 **ROXXY:** Oh! Why are you walking around without a light?

_She shines her light toward me._

**SHUJI:** My phone died because I’m an idiot.

 **ROXXY:** Wow, like, the power of your stupid brain drained the energy from your phone?

 **SHUJI:** Yeah, exactly. Want breakfast?

 **ROXXY:** Hey, Shu-chan? You know you’re not, like, the personal chef for everyone in here, right?

 **SHUJI:** What? Yeah, of course I know that.

 **ROXXY:** Soo...by extension, you don’t need to be constantly making food for everyone?

 **SHUJI** : ...yeees?

 **ROXXY:** Okay! Just wanted to make sure you knew!

_It sounds like she’s smiling, although she’s behind the source of light so I can’t tell. I rub the back of my neck, half in thought, half in embarrassment, and half because I think I slept on it wrong._

_I think something might be wrong about my math there._

_Either way, I end up caught on her motives. Is she upset with me for cooking all the time? Is she speaking on behalf of someone else? Doesn’t it help everyone when I cook? Why would she want me to stop?_

**ROXXY:** Wow, did last night get to you or what?

 **SHUJI:** What do you mean?

 **ROXXY:** Well, for starters you look like a total zombie. Sleep much?

 **SHUJI:** Yeah I did not...I didn’t sleep well.

 **ROXXY:** And you’re having a total face journey right now! What’s going on, Shu-shu?

_Shu-shu is a new one. I haven’t been called that since…_

**SHUJI:** I guess it did get to me.

_There’s the distinct noise of a chair being pushed back from a table, another chair being dragged out, and Roxxy patting the seat. The bobbling light from her phone tells the same story._

**ROXXY:** Talk to me about it! I’m like, the best listener! All the dancers I have are always coming to me with their problems, and I’m just the super powered problem solver. Feel like you’re worthless cuz you’re gaining weight? Uh, no way, here’s the pep talk of a lifetime and I’ll pick you up to prove you’re not too heavy to do what you love!

_I snort, despite myself, but I do take a seat next to her._

**SHUJI:** I guess when I feel too heavy I’ll come to you for a literal pick me up.

 **ROXXY:** I appreciate that you’re joking about all this, but I’m serious! I want to help you. You’ve been running around playing support roles to everyone else’s problems--I _know_ you and Bo-chan talked and made some kind of secret blood pact--but nobody’s been helping you!

_There’s a moment where I don’t know what to say. I’ve been asked a couple times why I’ve been trying to be nice to everyone. People have been more or less satisfied with my responses, but it’s always turned into a conversation about what they need._

_I don’t mind it! I like listening. I like helping. Even if it weren’t some humanitarian effort, it’s about survival in here. Keeping everyone sane is just safer, right?_

_But...an opportunity to talk through everything I’m feeling?_

**SHUJI:** Okay. Thanks, Roxxy-chan. I’m...not sure where to start, though.

 **ROXXY:** Well, we can always talk shit about Kata. I almost liked him before last night, but...phew, what a jerk.

 **SHUJI:** I don’t know how productive that would be. Like, in theory, yeah fuck that guy and the horse he rode in on. But it’s the stuff that Masanori’s ghost said. Or what Kata-san made me think it said.

 **ROXXY:** You don’t really think you’re responsible, do you?

 **SHUJI:** I am. I mean, we all are. It’s what I’ve been telling myself to keep myself moving forward. If I’m responsible for everything, it means I have control.

 **ROXXY:** Mm, that seems like a big problem. We’re in an uncontrollable situation! Trying to grab the reins on this is gonna kill you, Shu-shu. This horse is going like, first of all, way too fast. Second of all, I think this horse is actively trying to eat your fingers.

 **SHUJI:** I think the metaphor is getting away from you, here.

 **ROXXY:** Let’s agree to disagree. But basically, I think you need to relax.

 **SHUJI:** Relax? In here?

 **ROXXY:** Sure, it’s no sauna, but...let me put it to you like this. Do you know the best way to survive a fall?

 **SHUJI:** Easy, bring a parachute.

 **ROXXY:** No, silly! You go limp! People who are unconscious during accidents are usually the least likely to get hurt, because they don’t tense up before impact!

 **SHUJI:** So...when things spiral out of my control...being tense will hurt me?

 **ROXXY:** Yes! Exactly! There’s no real way to solve a lot of this, that I can figure out anyway. I don’t know, I’m a space cadet sometimes. But going with the flow can literally save your life sometimes.

 **SHUJI:** As long as you don’t run into any rocks.

 **ROXXY:** In this scenario, the rocks mean murdering someone! I think you were the wise man who was like ‘not killing is literally easier than killing’?

_I stew on that for a moment. She makes it sound so easy. I roll my shoulders, trying to relax, but I still feel stiff and achy._

**SHUJI:** I still feel like shit.

 **ROXXY:** Did none of that help? I’m sorry, Shu-chan.

 **SHUJI:** I think it did. I think it will, long term, help a lot. But I’m not exactly limp yet.

 **ROXXY:** Oh! Then we can commence stage two!

 **SHUJI:** Oh god.

 **ROXXY:** Listen, in my life there’s always stuff that’s out of control. And I know it, so much, because I’m definitely a control freak about my shows! I learned to do the lights, and the choreo, and the pyrotechnics, and all sorts of junk! But even then, there’s stuff that gets out of hand and me and the girls are just like, crying in a hotel room because something messed up.

_Pyrotechnics? Holy shit. Like, fireworks?? How much fire is in an average magic act?_

**ROXXY:** And there’s one solution!

 **SHUJI:** Is it napping? I’ve always been fond of napping when I cry too much.

 **ROXXY:** Spa day!!

 **SHUJI:** Uh-oh. No way. I refuse.

 **ROXXY:** You can’t!

 **SHUJI:** I refuse to go sit in a hot room on an empty stomach, and I’d bet you haven’t eaten earlier.

 **ROXXY:** But you’re not my--

 **SHUJI:** Personal chef, I know. So you’re gonna help me make breakfast.

 **ROXXY:** Oh! Fun! Be very explicit with your directions so I don’t burn the place down!

_Together, we make a pretty simple breakfast. Just some toast and jam. She manages not to destroy anything, and we call it a victory. She allows me time to clean up before dragging me upstairs to the bath house._

_While she drags me, I think about what we talked about. Not the actual message of it, but just the fact that she has so far been the first person to demand that I open up. She doesn’t seem to care about my tragic backstory or anything dumb like that, she isn’t using information as leverage (who--besides maybe Aika--would do that anyway, I don’t know), she just wants to help._

_Maybe she is the super powered problem solver she claims to be._

_We march into the bath house at her tempo, her in front and me lagging a little bit behind. With one hand on the light, and the other hand on me, she stalls at the door until she realizes she has to let go of one of those things before she can open it._

_Giving me a firm look to discourage running away at the soonest opportunity, she released me and opened the door._

_This room is still the only one in the house that has any light, and the light that it has is dim. The projection on the wall is that of early morning, giving me memories of crisp walks to school, with the world still misty._

_The figure floating in the water is not as friendly._

_Roxxy screams with the voice of someone used to being on stage; it’s loud._

_I’m cold._

_Someone runs in; I hear their footsteps. They must have been in the infirmary._

**???:** Bing bong! A body has been discovered!

_I’m having a hard time thinking clearly._

_As the lights come on, I’m already walking into the warm water of the bath. A faint thought wanders its way through my head; ‘isn’t it good that I didn’t bring my phone?’ as I come to the body._

_At least his eyes are closed._

_At least there’s that._

//Kata Ama lies dead in the water. His eyes are closed, and his position is peaceful, but there are visible bruises on the pale skin of his neck. He is fully clothed, but entirely soaked from the water in the bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Press F to pay respects for Kata pensive emoji
> 
> Phew! I know I said it'd be one more chapter and *then* body drop last time, but I decided to just make a very long one so that the pacing works out a little better! Next chapter will be up in two weeks, as usual, and will be containing the investigation! Expect an update by the 24th!
> 
> If you have guesses or theories already, please feel free to join the discord server (link in the summary!) and talk with us!


	20. Chapter Two: Patience (Investigation)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full investigation for the second murder.

_ Again. _

_ I pull him to the side of the bath, and take him out of the water. He’s heavy, soaked completely through. All I can think is the word. Again. _

_ In my innermost of hearts, I’m relieved. He died, there was another murder, but...he wasn’t my friend. He seemed to hate me. He will no longer threaten me, or bully me, or try to convince people that I was going to murder him. _

_ Oh god. _

_ People are going to think I did this. _

_ But they’ll be wrong, which means… _

**THE FEY:** Oh lookie here! Someone here finally took it upon themself to do the  _ one _ thing I ask of them!

_ Someone here did this. _

_ Kata might not have been my friend, but almost everyone else here is. _

**ISEI:** Is now the goddamn time?

_ I look up from the body; everyone is here. Including The Fey, naturally, to make this all more fun for everyone. _

**THE FEY:** Do I ask you to pay rent? No! Do I ask you to pay bills? NO! I ask you to do some itty bitty murders and suddenly I’m the bad guy?

**FUMI:** You have always been the bad guy!!

**THE FEY:** Fine. You can see it that way. I don’t, but you can be wrong if you’d like to.

**ISEI:** Ugh. Whatever. When do we get the file?

**THE FEY:** The what?

**NORIKO:** The file that told us details about the murder we could not have known.

**THE FEY:** Not ringin’ a bell.

**MIKI:** Are you serious? How are we gonna solve this without it?!

**YUI:** We’ll have to use our own senses, I suppose...has anyone checked for a pulse?

_ She turns to me expectantly. I shake my head mutely. I’m working on getting out of the water now that people are looking at me, and I’m suddenly aware of how wet I am. _

**KYO:** Isn’t Akiyama-san a doctor, sorta? Like, a scientist at least? Maybe she can help.

**PV:** She’s a psychologist, not a doctor. I’m sure she’s never even seen a dead body before coming here.

**AIKA:** Except for when my parents were tragically killed in front of me as a child…

**HEIJI:** What?!

**AIKA:** By bears.

**KATHERINE:** Wild.

**AIKA:** With chainsaws.

**ISEI:** I’m getting the feeling she’s not the most reliable type to be examinin’ a body. 

**PV:** We need that file.

**THE FEY:** Oh, you mean this file? The one that’s on your tablets now? You’re welcome.

**MIKI:** UGH! Why are you being so weird?!

**THE FEY:** I need to go now. Report for the trial in an hour.

_ With that, they’re gone. We’re left to our own devices, to investigate or not. To prove my innocence, and condemn someone else. _

!!! INVESTIGATION: START!!!

**PV:** Okay, we’ll do it like last time. Split into groups, and investigate together. If everyone chips in, unlike last time, this shouldn’t be too hard.

**AIKA:** No offense, but we know who did it.

_ Suddenly the room is split between people looking at me and people trying very hard not to look at me. _

**SHUJI:** I didn’t do it.

**AIKA** : Interesting...I didn’t say it was you...Speaks of a guilty conscience, don’t you think?

**NORIKO:** Electing to ignore her, I’ll stand guard here so nobody meddles with the body.

_ With Noriko’s words, things settle a bit. There are still looks aimed in my direction, but people start shuffling into groups and taking a look around or leaving to investigate elsewhere. Eventually, there’s only a handful of us left. _

[Aika] / [Noriko and Heiji] / [Kata’s Body] / [Fey File] / [Bath House General]

**[SELECT: Aika]**

_ Aika’s accusations weigh on me more than I’d like, so I approach her. She seems eager to speak to me. _

**AIKA:** Hey, killer.

**SHUJI:** I really am not a killer.

**AIKA:** Your innocence is yet to be proven.

**SHUJI:** So is my guilt! Why are you so ready to believe I killed someone?

**AIKA:** It was pretty clearly laid out that if you or Kata-san died, the other was the killer. I’m pretty dubious about your plan to investigate, as well.

**SHUJI:** You think I’ll...what? Change the evidence?

**AIKA:** You solved the last case. Who’s to say you won’t depend on that reputation and meddle? I’ll keep a close eye on you. It should be entertaining to watch you investigate a murder you committed, ha.

_ I groan. _

**SHUJI:** Okay, where were you at the time of the crime?

**AIKA:** Oh, a diversion of blame? Nice. I was in bed. I doubt anyone is going to have a rock solid alibi for this one.

_ Well, she’s not wrong. I huff in frustration, not sure how to convince her that I’m not lying or diverting or whatever, and decide to move on. _

[SELECT: Noriko and Heiji]

_ When I step over to the two guarding the body, Aika follows behind. Yeah, this is gonna be irritating. _

**SHUJI:** Are you guys okay?

**HEIJI:** Yeah. No offense, or anything, but I never really liked him.

**NORIKO:** He didn’t deserve to die.

**HEIJI:** Oh, yeah, most definitely not! But like, compared to Alena-chan? 

**NORIKO:** Hmm. At least this death doesn’t seem to have been quite so gory.

**HEIJI:** Both of ‘em were taken from the crime scene, though, right?

**SHUJI:** What do you mean by that?

**HEIJI:** Well, like, Alena-chan was dragged out of the fireplace, right? And Ama-san was taken out of the water.

**NORIKO:** Shuji-kun did that.

**AIKA:** Hmm, messing with the crime scene? Interesting.

**SHUJI:** Did you guys notice anything weird last night?

**HEIJI:** I really appreciate that we’re just ignoring Akiyama-san. 

**NORIKO:** Likewise. Other than the seance...No. I didn’t notice anything strange.

**HEIJI:** Hey, man. I don’t think you killed him.

**NORIKO:** You have my vote of confidence as well.

**SHUJI:** Thanks, guys. But I gotta figure out who did it to prove myself.

**NORIKO:** Work hard. We’ll be here.

[SELECT: Kata’s Body]

_ I may have discovered the body, but I didn’t get a proper look at him. Shock will do that to you. With the adrenaline of being accused of murder helping me out, I’m definitely in less of a haze than I was last time. _

_ The circumstances are also prompting me to be more thorough. Sorry Alena. _

_ His body is crumpled pretty much where I dropped it. He’s still on his back, with his arms splayed and his eyes closed. At a guess, I’d say he was strangled, although the purple marks on his neck don’t seem to match up with handprints. They seem like long, irregular swaths of bruises all concentrated up under his chin and jawline. _

_ Interesting, but I’m not sure where to go with that. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Kata’s Bruises]

_ I check his pockets next. _

_ Oh, a coin for the gacha machine! _

**AIKA:** Going to steal from the dead? I should really be writing this down.

_ I put it back in his pocket. _

_ Other than that...nothing. Not so much as lint. It’s about as uneventful as I expected, but I’m still disappointed. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Kata’s Pockets]

_ I sit back on my heels, trying to remember how I did this before. How on earth did we manage to solve a murder just a week ago? If I think about it too much I’ll panic. I need to keep looking. Last time, Alena scratched Masanori’s face. If I’d looked at her fingernails, things would have gone a lot quicker… _

_ I pick up Kata’s hand. It’s still warm from the bath water. Underneath his manicured fingernails is...string? It looks like white string, very frayed, which I guess goes with being under a corpse’s fingernails.  _

[EVIDENCE GET: White Fibers]

**[SELECT: Fey File]**

_ It’s time to open this up. After all the drama about it earlier, I really hope it’s helpful. _

> FEY FILE #02
> 
> VICTIM: Kenichi Ken (Alias: “Kata Ama”)
> 
> TIME OF DEATH: 12:06 AM
> 
> TIME OF DISCOVERY: 7:45 AM
> 
> SITE OF DISCOVERY: Second Floor Bathhouse
> 
> CAUSE OF DEATH: Asphyxiation

_ Kenichi Ken? _

**SHUJI:** He was lying to us about his name?

**AIKA:** It’s more likely that he worked under a pseudonym. His name was spelled with the kanji for tough and sweet, after all. It’s his whole identity wrapped up. Childish, but he was probably a child when he chose it.

_ Wow, that’s actually an astute observation. I don't know why I don’t expect that sort of thing from her, but I guess she  _ is  _ a psychologist. Or at least, she pretends to be enough that she can pull some stuff together. _

_ Still, I’m not sure if this is relevant to the murder. I’d better focus on the important stuff. _

**SHUJI:** Akiyama-san, what do you make of the cause of death?

**AIKA:** Hm? 

_ She steps closer to me and yanks my arm down so that my tablet is at a comfortable reading level for her. _

**AIKA:** Asphyxiation is just the lack of oxygen. It’s interesting, actually, how quickly the brain stops functioning when airways are cut off. Most forms of pain will cause a brain to work faster, seeking adrenaline to escape the situation, but without air?

_ She shakes her head. _

**AIKA:** Asphyxiation is useless for most experiments. It’s kinda hot though.

**SHUJI:** Alright, that’s a little more than what I wanted to hear from you.

_ Aika grins at me. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Cause of Death]

**[SELECT: Bath House General]**

_ Now that the lights are on, it’s going to be easier to assess my surroundings. _

_ The bathhouse looks...normal. The water in the bath looks clean and clear, as usual. The towels are all neatly folded on the shelves. The bowl with the gender tags is--hold up. _

_ I look closer. There’s only one door hanger in here, and it’s for nonbinary people. So where are the others? That has to be important, right? _

_ They’re not in the water, they weren’t on Kata’s body, they aren’t on the projector-- _

_ The doorknob. _

_ I step over to it and look at the hanger. _

“In use: ♀”

_ Thinking back, it was Roxxy who opened the door when we got here... _

[EVIDENCE GET: Female Gender Marker]

_ But I still haven’t found the other one. I guess I’ll have to keep my eyes open for it. _

**AIKA:** So, are you going to tell me how you killed him or what?

**SHUJI:** I didn’t kill him.

**AIKA:** That’s what they all say…

**SHUJI:** I think I’m out of stuff to look at in here. Are you gonna follow me around all day?

**AIKA:** Til death do us part.

**SHUJI:** Fantastic.

_ Where do I go from here? _

**AIKA:** Not to be helpful or anything, but it can’t be productive to check every single room. We only have an hour.

**SHUJI:** Okay, so where should we start?

**AIKA:** I don’t know. You’re the murderer, you tell me.

**SHUJI:** Actually, that’s a good idea!

**AIKA:** Oh, a confession?

**SHUJI** : No, I just need to think like a murderer.

**AIKA:** Shouldn’t be too hard for you.

_ I ignore her, and try to think of what I would have done if I’d been the one to kill Kata. The prospect of being angry enough to murder someone is foreign to me but...I’ll try anyway. And who knows? Maybe it was calculated all along. _

_ I step outside of the bathhouse and look around. _

**SHUJI:** Okay, so, if I killed Kata I’d need to get rid of evidence. But if he was just strangled, what evidence is there gonna be?

**AIKA:** No murder weapon, but maybe something else. You’re damp.

**SHUJI:** It’s only been a few minutes since I got Kata out of the bath.

**AIKA:** Yeah. You’re damp.

_ I stare at her blankly for a moment. She’s not being outright rude, so it’s probably not a joke, but why would she…? _

**SHUJI:** Dryers!

**AIKA:** There ya go, champ.

_ We head to the laundry room so I can rifle through the dryers. Most of them are empty, but two aren’t! _

[Left Dryer] / [Right Dryer]

**[SELECT: Left]**

_ I reach in and...oh gross, it’s still wet! Well, I’ve gotta pull it out anyway I guess. Sorry, whoever these belong to. _

_ Soon there’s a pile on the floor of slightly damp clothes. These are nice clothes, and honestly look like they should’ve been dry cleaned, but we don’t have a lot of options here. I recognize the shirt Kyo was wearing to the wake a week ago, and find 3 Fey coins in the pockets of what seems like Kyo’s trousers. _

**[SELECT: Right]**

_ This one is full of dry clothes. Basketball shorts and tank top, fairly small, but I don’t remember seeing them before. They could pass off as someone’s pajamas, I guess, but everyone here has pretty distinct fashion tastes that this doesn’t quite line up with. The tank top, in particular, is larger than the shorts would make me think the person who wears them is.  _

_ Okay. _

_ Well, that’s a start. _

**AIKA:** It is possible, of course, that the culprit never touched the water.

**SHUJI:** What?

**AIKA:** _[Mimes a pushing motion.]_ We’re assuming a lot about how the crime took place. Unless, of course, you killed him and these are your clothes. _[Shrugs.]_ Anything is possible.

**SHUJI:** Okay, we need more evidence.

_ I shove the tank top in my bag, regardless. It seems important. _

_ Leaving the laundry room, I need to decide where to look next. I still have no idea who did it, and I’m guessing a lot of people share Aika’s point of view. And I still need to find the last gender marker, since it’s missing. _

[Dining Room] / [Sitting Room] / [Bedrooms] / [Out Building]

**[SELECT: Dining Room]**

_ The room is still set up from the seance, with the empty bowl on the table and candles burned down to stumps. The half crumpled note that Kata gave me last night still sits on the table. Just thinking of it makes me want to scowl. But I need to focus, and maybe talk to whoever else is around. _

[Miki + Katherine] / [Bo + Lani]

**[SELECT: Miki + Katherine]**

_ Miki and Katherine are standing by the entrance to the kitchen, chatting from the looks of things. They’re holding hands. _

**SHUJI:** Hey guys.

**MIKI:** So did you kill him?

**KATHERINE:** I bet he did.

**MIKI:** I’m not sure. Did you?

**SHUJI:** Nope.

**AIKA:** He totally did.

**SHUJI:** Ugh.

**KATHERINE:** Did your paranormal powers tell you that?

**AIKA:** You think I have paranormal powers? I’m flattered.

**KATHERINE:** ...I was joking.

**MIKI:** Babe I love that your sarcasm sounds exactly like your normal speaking voice.

**SHUJI:** Hey, Dan-san, do you have any idea of what might’ve happened?

**MIKI** : No. I was in the infirmary when Roxxy-chan screamed, but there wasn’t anything weird in there.

**AIKA:** Why were you in the infirmary that early in the morning?

**KATHERINE:** I told them to.

**AIKA:** Interesting. And why is that?

**KATHERINE:** ...hangover cures.

**MIKI:** The two of us raided the wine cabinet in the kitchen.

**SHUJI:** That seems dangerous.

**KATHERINE:** It was nice.

**SHUJI:** So you didn’t notice anything weird last night or this morning?

**MIKI:** Nope. I’m sorry.

**SHUJI:** It’s okay, thanks.

_ Dead end. _

**[SELECT: Bo + Lani]**

**BO:** Shuji-sama!! You’ve been framed!!

_ I guess they saw me coming. _

**SHUJI:** Hey, Bo-san. What do you mean framed?

**AIKA:** They mean someone set you up for it. Perhaps Moreau-san is your accomplice? Hmm.

**LANI** : I don’t think Bo-san is an accomplice.

**BO:** After all the fightings yesterday night, someone went to go kill Ama-sama and make it look like you! It’s the only reason!

_ When they get agitated, their vocabulary falters a bit and it can be hard to understand them. After I puzzle through what they mean, I nod slowly. _

**SHUJI:** I guess that makes sense. It’s not like I tried to hide the note that he gave me.

**AIKA:** So you’re implying that someone took the opportunity to frame you based on the events of last night? Regardless, Kata’s death would be on your hands.

**LANI:** No it wouldn’t! What is it with people and trying to blame Shuji-kun for everyone’s deaths?

**BO:** Pretty fuck up if you ask me.

**SHUJI:** I’m getting used to it.

**LANI:** You shouldn’t have to. We shouldn’t have to get used to any of this.

**AIKA:** It’s adapt or die, you know. If you lock yourself into your previous perception of reality, when things change, you’ll simply die.

**LANI:** …

**AIKA:** But what do I know? It’s not like my literal job has anything to do with perceptions.

**SHUJI:** That seems like a philosophical discussion for another time.

**AIKA:** I rolled my eyes under my sunglasses.

**BO:** Well I crossed my eyes!

**LANI:** What happened to innocent until proven guilty, huh?

**AIKA:** In here, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. It’s too dangerous to presume otherwise.

**LANI:** I really hate you.

**AIKA:** Wow, harsh. Even Shuji-kun here doesn’t hate me.

**SHUJI:** I think you’re a hack who’s probably lying about your actual talent. And possibly a witch.

**AIKA:** _[Smirking.]_ Stop flirting with me.

**SHUJI:** Ignoring that, did you guys notice anything last night? I left pretty early, so I don’t know where everyone went.

**BO:** _[Tapping chin.]_ After you left, people went separate ways pretty quickly. Lani-sama, Fumi-sama, and Kyo-sama tried to cook for a while. Mmmm...Lani-sama, do you remember?

**LANI:** Yeah. We ended up microwaving leftovers and it was cold in the middle.

**AIKA:** I went without dinner for that reason. I offered to spend time with Kata, but he declined.

**LANI:** Do you two spend a lot of time together?

**AIKA:** Some. If I tell you about it, Soga-san will appear and elbow me in the ribs.

_ And she’ll deserve it. _

**BO:** Oh! I think Soga-sama and Roxxy-sama went to go talk to him.

_ Now that seems important! _

[EVIDENCE GET! Bo and Lani’s testimonies]

**SHUJI:** Thanks! Anything else?

_ Bo shakes their head mutely, their green hair flapping wildly. Lani shrugs. _

**[SELECT: Sitting Room]**

_ On my way out of the dining room, I notice that the public restroom door is open very slightly. I pause, my brow furrowed as I look at it. _

**[ERROR]**

_ I haven’t even thought about that room since we made it off limits. Public restrooms have always been a source of dread for me, even without the ever hanging threat of murder. Well, I suppose, for trans people that threat is always there. _

_ Way to take it to a dark place, Shuji. Way to go. _

_ Either way, that door hasn’t been open before...has it? _

**AIKA:** Do you have to pee?

**SHUJI:** Huh?

**AIKA:** You’re staring at that door.

**[SELECT: Restroom]**

_ I step toward the door and push it open. The light flickers on as I enter. It’s a pretty basic bathroom, especially compared to the deluxe areas we have in our rooms. Four stalls with toilets, 2 sinks, a trash can, two little indoor trees-- _

_ Hold up. The water in one of the sinks is running. _

_ With something ticking in the back of my mind about the water bill, I go to turn off the faucet before realizing something is in the sink. _

**SHUJI:** Oh goddamn, that is definitely a clue.

_ A cell phone lies in the sink, dead as a doornail from being underwater for who knows how long. I pick it up delicately, as if my sweater isn’t still mildly damp anyway, and shake the water off of it. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Broken Cellphone]

**AIKA:** I had a feeling people would break this rule fairly quickly.

**SHUJI:** Why?

**AIKA:** _[Shrugs.]_ We’re forced into a nightmare scenario where nobody, except for I imagine the person who put us here, has complete control. Deviating from the self imposed rules gives a sense of agency.

_ I think back to what Roxxy said this morning. Sometimes you just have to go limp, or you’ll break a bone. _

_ I hum thoughtfully to show I heard her, but otherwise I don’t respond to what Aika said. It doesn’t seem to bother her.  _

_ After a cursory look around the restroom, I don’t see anything else that could be used as evidence, so it’s time to go back to what I was doing. _

**[SELECT: Sitting Room]**

_ I haven’t been in here at all since… _

_ Well, you know. _

_ The fact that it looks pristine, like nothing ever happened in here, pisses me off beyond words. I feel anger coil in my stomach at the sight of the clean fireplace and cozy chairs. How dare it look so normal? How dare there be no stain in this room? _

_ I don’t do well with anger. I don’t feel it a lot, honestly. I get frustrated, sometimes, but mostly I can cool myself off pretty quickly. _

_ It’s harder this time. _

_ The idea that Alena had no physical impact here is just...it’s just too much for me. _

**AIKA:** The room doesn’t seem to have been touched.

**SHUJI:** Disgusting.

**AIKA:** Hm? Are you that desperate for evidence?

**SHUJI:** No I meant...you know what? Whatever. This isn’t the time.

**AIKA:** You are a ticking time bomb right now, I suppose. Shall we move on?

**[SELECT: Bedrooms]**

**AIKA:** Last time there wasn’t anything too interesting in here. I’m not sure if there will be this time.

**SHUJI:** Well, we can only really investigate our own rooms, so I guess it’s useless.

**AIKA:** You are a pretty lousy investigator.

**SHUJI:** Huh?

**AIKA:** So your success in the trial last time was a total fluke, apparently. Now that is interesting.

**SHUJI** : Are you just trying to hurt my feelings? Tell me what you meant by that, please.

**AIKA** : It depends. Are your feelings hurt?

_ I frown at her and she seems to hide a smile behind her hand. _

**AIKA** : The rooms all unlocked for investigation last time. I suppose you were drifting around in a fugue state, but it’s good to know that you depend almost entirely on luck.

_ I resist the urge to tell her to be quiet, and try to decide which door to go to next. On either side of me is Isei’s room and the supply closet. Since the supply closet is always unlocked anyway, and it’s such a mess I won’t be able to tell if anything has changed, I go for Isei’s room. _

_ Oh wow, this place is a mess. There are clothes everywhere, the bed is entirely bare except for a single tangled top sheet and one pillow, and his phone is still plugged in on the bedside table that is otherwise littered with half-empty water glasses. _

**ISEI** : What are you doing in my room?

_ I whirl around to see Isei standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised judgmentally. _

_ Wait, why is  _ he _  judgmental? I’m not the one who can’t commit to a single cup of water! _

**AIKA** : Hey, Soga-san, do you think all this is indicative of a guilty conscience? Tearing up one’s own space often indicates...something, at least.

**SHUJI** : Is this...related to the murder at all?

**ISEI** :  _ [Shrugs.] _ It was dark. I couldn’t see, anyway. This is just how my room looks all the time. Didn’t you see it last investigation?

**AIKA** : No, we determined that Saji-san is an idiot.

**ISEI** : I wouldn’t go that far.

**SHUJI** : ...damn, you live like this?

**ISEI** : Have you guys turned up anything in the investigation?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, actually, there’s this--Ow! What the hell?

_ Aika glares at me, as if pinching my arm wasn’t enough. _

**AIKA** : _ [Whispering.]  _ Save it!

**SHUJI:** What for?

_ Aika yanks on my arm and pulls me away from Isei. She really has the grip of a tiny baby kitten, strength wise, but I cooperate anyway.  _

**AIKA:** Didn’t you hear that he and Roxxy-chan went to go talk to Kata before he died? He could be the killer. Don’t give him time to come up with a good alibi. You need to bring stuff up in the trial.

**SHUJI:** Are you giving me serious, solid advice?

**AIKA:** _[Shrugs.]_ Maybe I’m just sowing distrust in the group. Who can tell?

_ Not me, that’s for sure. I guess I’ll take her advice for now...there’s no harm in keeping some things to myself, right? _

_ We step back toward Isei, who just looks amused about this whole thing. _

**ISEI** : Are you gonna ask me if I killed him?

**SHUJI** : Well, did you?

**ISEI** : Nope. Do you believe me?

**SHUJI** : Sure.

**AIKA** : Seriously?

**ISEI** : Nice. But that’s a really bad habit. People lie, you know? 

**SHUJI** : Do you think I did it?

**ISEI** : I guess I’ll find out later, right?

_ Huh. _

_ Time to continue looking at the bedrooms. I only have so much time to sit and think about what I’m seeing. _

_ Next to Isei’s room is Kata’s. There’s gotta be something important in there, right? _

_ It looks...surprisingly lived in. Not as messy as Isei’s room or anything, but there’s a nest of blankets on the floor near a laptop--probably from the library--and a small pile of dirty clothes on the floor next to the hastily made bed. _

_ After looking around for a moment, I struggle to find anything particularly out of place. _

_ I move on. _

_ Lani’s room is next. He took the same tactic as Kyo and tried to decorate the room a little bit, hanging up little bits of jewelry on the walls to try to give it some flair. His room is tidier than I expected, with his bed meticulously made and the only thing on his desk being his cell phone. _

_ Heiji next. Despite his very messy bed, nothing stands out. _

_ Then Noriko, then Yui, then Bo...as I go, I go quicker and quicker, mostly just taking a cursory glance around instead of really trying to look. This is taking too long, and I’m not sure how much time has passed. There’s a lot still to search for, after all. _

_ We skip over Masanori’s room, and by the time we get to Fumi’s--which is at the very end of the hall--it seems like other people are investigating the bedrooms too. _

**YUI:** I’m not sure how I feel about the two of you investigating together.

**AIKA:** Worried we’ll fall in love?

**YUI:** ...no. Not even a little bit.

**SHUJI:** What’s the problem?

**YUI:** You are highly suspicious in this murder, for obvious reasons. And Akiyama-san here...is not trustworthy.

**AIKA:** I’m a chaos element, I’ll admit it.

_ Yui grabs my arm and escorts me aside. Why does this keep happening today? _

**YUI:** You read the dossiers, didn’t you?

_ I nod. _

**YUI:** Then you know that her science is dubious at best, criminal at worst. You can’t trust her.

**SHUJI:** Suzuki-san?

**YUI:** Yes?

**SHUJI:**  The moment you leave she’s going to tell me the same thing about you. Let’s just assume I’m operating on a pretty balanced level of trust vs mistrust about everyone. Okay?

**YUI:** Fine.

**AIKA** : Are you two done gossipping about me yet? And I thought we were out of high school...The drama of it all, pssh.

**SHUJI:** We’re done.

**AIKA:** Suzuki-san. Did you find anything, or are you just here to steal away Shuji and accuse us of being in cahoots. Just like poor little dead Alena...Sad.

**YUI:** _[Grimacing.]_ I investigated the library. I thought it may be relevant because of the proximity to the murder, but I didn’t find anything of note. 

**SHUJI:** Damn. Well, thanks for the intel.

_ Yui nods, looks around Fumi’s bedroom briefly, and continues on her way. I do the same, taking in the glittery pink cellphone case and the really fluffy down comforter on her bed. Did everyone get one of those? I’ll have to check out my closet later. _

**AIKA:** You know she’s lying, right?

**SHUJI:** What does she have to gain?

**AIKA:** She could escape. If she found evidence and is hiding it, maybe she’s the killer.

**SHUJI:** I’m not the killer anymore?

**AIKA:** Cahoots?

**SHUJI:** Ugh.

_ We cross over to the other side of the hall, for the second half of the rooms. Kyo’s is the only one I’ve seen before, and it doesn’t seem different, but we keep going. When we’re in PV’s room, Heiji drops by. _

**HEIJI:** Man, I expected their room to have more colors.

_ It is pretty plain. It looks like they haven’t taken any time to decorate it, as some of the others have, and have only set up one of the library’s laptops and a bunch of makeup on the desk. _

**SHUJI:** At least orange, right?

**HEIJI:** Yeah!

**AIKA:** Are you here to offer anything useful, or are you just eye candy?

**HEIJI:** Nothin’s stopping me from being both! Y’all check out the kitchen?

**SHUJI:** Haven’t gotten around to it yet.

**HEIJI:** I was hoping it would be a wreck like last time, you know? Lots of evidence in trash, or something. But it’s the same as it was last night, I think. I mean, there were no lights last night. But I’m pretty sure.

**AIKA:** No convenient pools of blood?

**HEIJI:** Nope, not even a convenient puddle.

**SHUJI:** Hey, aren’t you supposed to be body guarding?

**HEIJI:** Mhm!

**SHUJI:** So why...aren’t you there?

**HEIJI:** Oh, duh. Noriko was handling it, and mostly everyone got done looking at the body, so I was really bored. Then Katherine and Miki came up and offered to guard in my place.

**AIKA:** That is incredibly suspicious.

**SHUJI:** Is it?

**AIKA:** They took over guarding the body? They’re obviously working as a unit. If they killed him--

**HEIJI:** Oh, scary chick, do not worry yourself. Noriko’s still there! I thought I’d try to take a hack at investigating is all.

**SHUJI:** Don’t worry about her, she’s on a paranoia kick right now.

**HEIJI:** Does she think you did it?

**SHUJI:** Yup.

**HEIJI:** Haha, yeah, everyone does. See ya later dudes!

_ Ultimately, I don’t find the missing gender tag from the bathhouse, so I’m not sure how useful any of that was. Damn. _

_ Still, I think I have a better idea of how everyone lives. So, not a complete loss? _

[EVIDENCE GET! State of Bedrooms]

**[SELECT: Out Building]**

_ With this house pretty thoroughly investigated--or, at least as thorough as I can get under a time limit, I head out to the out building. _

_ The courtroom where we had the trial is closed.  _

_ I guess we’ll get in there soon enough, anyway. _

_ That leaves the swimming pool, changing room, and garden. The clock is ticking, and from a cursory glance around I can tell there’s nothing going on in the pool, so I head for the changing room. _

**AIKA:** I think we’re almost out of time.

**SHUJI:** Let’s split up. You take the lockers, I’ll take the rest.

**AIKA:** Hmph. Fine.

_ I step over to the pool towels in the shelving along the back wall. Each blue towel is perfectly in its place except--oh, what do we have here? _

_ A single white towel is sloppily folded and shoved into the rest of the towels. The restrooms in our suites are stocked with white bath towels, as well as the bath house upstairs. That cannot be a coincidence. _

_ I pick up the towel and shake it out, looking for anything significant, and something falls out of it onto my feet. _

**AIKA:** This is a dead end.

**SHUJI:** I disagree.

_ I pick up the fallen object and show it to her. A tag meant to hang on a doorknob indicating that the room in question is in use by men. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Men’s Gender Maker]

_ It’s a little more anticlimactic than I thought it would be to find this. I’ve been looking for it the whole time but..I’m still not sure how it connects to the case. _

_ I guess we still have time to explore the garden for evidence, so-- _

**THE FEY** : Hey! Get your scrawny asses down to the courtroom.

**AIKA** : Do you think it’s talking to me, specifically?

**SHUJI** : I don’t want to think about your ass. Ever. Please.

**THE FEY** : HURRY IT UP!

_ Well, I guess we don’t have time to investigate further. Luckily, we’re close enough to the trial room to get there without any retribution from the tiny pink goblin who holds us here. _

_ Wow, am I nursing some resentment or what? _

_ Whatever. She deserves it. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trial Part 1 will come in one week, on the 1st of October! 
> 
> Who do you think did it? Any guesses? Was it Shuji after all? Feel free to join the discord or comment here and let me know what you think!


	21. Chapter Two: Patience (Trial)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one of the second class trial!

_ Aika and I part ways to get to our seats, but my eyes are immediately glued to the newest sad mockery of the deceased. Where Kata would normally be sitting--as if anything about this is normal--is a blank body pillow with a crudely drawn version of him. The drawing is about one step up from a stick figure, with what I think is supposed to be a laptop covering up his 2D decency. _

_ Alena’s plant is still there, now wilting slightly as nobody’s been watering it, and Masanori’s sewing machine’s angry face is lopsided as one of the pieces of tape has fallen off. _

_ People filter in with the sense of urgency that could only accompany one of these trials, and I’m left to reflect on the fact that The Fey isn’t even maintaining what few things we have to remember those we’ve lost.  _

_ Fucker. _

_ Once everyone is seated, The Fey takes its place on that horrible little throne and simply stares at us expectantly.  _

**PV** : I suppose we should start.

**KYO** : No offense, but this case should be pretty quick compared to the last one.

**ROXXY** : Well, without all that rigamarole about running around and figuring out who got attacked, yeah! We just need to look at the evidence and, um--

**FUMI** : Roxxy, I don’t think that’s what Katayama-san means.

**YUI** : As it is, all the evidence points rather soundly to one person.

**SHUJI** : Really? Who?

_ As one, everyone turns to look at me. Some look accusatory, others look surprised, and soon people are actively avoiding eye contact. _

**NORIKO** : Ahem. I believe we’ll need an alibi from you, Shuji-kun.

_ Fumbling with my tablet, I pull up the Fey File to double check. _

_ 12:06 AM. _

**SHUJI** : I don’t have one. It was the middle of the night, nobody has one.

**HEIJI** : Is it just me or isn’t that pretty close to the time on the note?

**MIKI** : Does anyone have that?

**YUI** : Yes.

_ She hands it to Kyo, who reads it aloud. _

**KYO** : “Meet me at midnight in the bath house. I think I know a way to escape this place, but I’ll need your help.” Signed Kata Ama.

**KATHERINE** : It sounds like somebody certainly met him at midnight…

**AIKA** : Say, Shuji-kun, did you get to hear his escape plan before you killed him?

**LANI** : He didn’t kill him! Let’s hear him out!

**PV:** We did make it pretty clear last night that if either of them dropped dead, it would be soundly the other person’s fault. It’s a shame, really…

**ROXXY:** It’s a shame that all of you are ganging up on him like this!

**PV:** It’s a shame because I thought he was smarter than all this. 

**BO:** Maybe there’s other evidences! This is circumstantial!

**MIKI:** We’re not lawyers! What are we supposed to do?

**ISEI:** We could benefit from some fucking lawyers…

**KATHERINE:** _ [Sharply] _ If you have something to say, say it.

**ISEI:** ...Nevermind.

**FUMI:** I still think we should approach this...like...with reason, in our hearts?

**YUI:** I would argue that a heart is no place for reason. But you have a point.

**HEIJI:** I watched a cop drama once. We gotta do motive and opportunity, right?

**LANI:** That’s a start.

**ROXXY:** Okay, well this is easy, because Shu-chan has absolutely no motive for killing Kata. What Pure-chan said is right! Shuji is too smart to kill him with all this note stuff, so there’s no motive.

**FUMI:** Wow!

**KATHERINE:** Are we forgetting how Kata literally hit Shuji in the face?

**MIKI:** And spent half his time this week threatening him, personally?

**KATHERINE:** Kata accused Shuji of causing what’s his name’s death.

**MIKI:** Kata was constantly telling Shuji to ‘watch himself.’

**KATHERINE:** I’m still not over him pretending to be possessed…

**LANI:** Well, if anything, it sounds like he’d just be defending himself if Kata tried to pull anything!

**NORIKO:** Even a murder in self defense is a murder.

**SHUJI:** I didn’t kill him, even in self defense. All the stuff you’re talking about is true, but wouldn’t that just want to make me stay away from him?

**KYO** : I don’t think we can just take your word for it, champ.

**LANI** : Okay, then opportunity, right? Literally everybody had opportunity.

_ Wait… _

**PV** : That’s not right!

_ Oh, I guess that was my opportunity. _

**LANI** : It’s not?

**PV** : The bathhouse locks depending on the gender marker you put on the door. It lines up with your ID or something, I don’t know how it knows it’s you, but the one on the door when we found Kata was for women only.

**FUMI** : Then that exonerates Shuji!

**AIKA** : Do you have something to say, Shuji-san?

_ Ugh… _

**SHUJI** : [ _ Sighs _ .] Yes. I found the male gender marker hidden in the changing room by the pool.

**PV** : Ah…

**ROXXY** : That doesn’t mean anything! That could just be like, oopsie, someone took it with them after they were done bathing and didn’t wanna go all the way back upstairs when they realized!

**KATHERINE** : So they...stashed it...in an entirely different building?

**ROXXY** : Yep!

**KATHERINE** : Snrk...Okay…

**YUI** : Then how did Kata get into the bathhouse?

**BO** : He could have broken in!

**MIKI** : Could he?

**BO:** Breaking in to places is always easier than it sounds!

**KYO** : I don’t think so. There’s no lock to pick on that door, it’s magnetic or something. I tried getting in when we first discovered the room. Back me up, Shuji-kun!

**SHUJI** : Yeah, that’s true. I didn’t even hear you trying to get in when the door was locked.

**NORIKO** : In order for Kata alone to have entered the room, there must have been either no gender marker at all, or only the male one. Correct?

**HEIJI** : I think so?

**ISEI** : [ _ Nods _ .]

**NORIKO** : Which presents two scenarios.

**YUI** : Ah, either the culprit laid in wait with no gender marker present, Kata entered and was killed, and the killer put the female marker on the door to throw people off their tracks and...hid the male marker. For a less obvious reason.

**FUMI** : That doesn’t sound likely.

**NORIKO** : Which means that the killer placed the male-only marker, fitting since Kata is a man and it is unlikely that Shuji--er, the killer--would want to kill anyone else, and after the crime hid it. After attempting to frame it so that only a woman could have done the crime.

_ Et tu, Noriko? _

**SHUJI** : Noriko-chan...do you believe I killed him?

**NORIKO** : [ _Looking_ _away_ ] I’m only stating evidence.

**ISEI** : I really don’t think Shuji did it. There’s evidence--

**MIKI** : You’re talking too quietly! I can’t hear you!

**KATHERINE** : God, would it kill you to speak up?

_ Isei freezes like a deer in headlights. His eyes go wide, his eyebrows pinch together, and I’m fairly sure that glassiness in his gaze is because he’s about to cry. He looks at each individual person, all of whom are looking at him now, and finally settles on me. _

_ That panic is too much to look at. I have to do something. _

**SHUJI** : Okay, I have a question for everyone.

_ All eyes on me again. My hands are shaking, very slightly, so I fold them in my lap as I continue. _

**SHUJI** : We’re assuming that the culprit was there first, right?

_ This is absolutely a tangent. I don’t know where I’m going with this. _

**KYO** : I don’t know, I guess when I think of a killer strangling someone it makes more sense for them to by lying in wait.

**SHUJI** : Well, it was supposed to be about a meeting, right? That’s what the note said. A way to escape. So, um. Let’s see. Kata sent the note, so…

**AIKA** : You’re stalling.

**MIKI** : Are you going anywhere with this?

**BO** : There’s no reason for Kata to go unless he wants killing!

**ROXXY** : Yeah! Everyone made it clear that anyone who went to the bathhouse at midnight was probably gonna die!

**PV:** So if Kata went to the location, he clearly had nefarious intent.

**KYO:** Or was willing to die for a way out of here.

**FUMI:** That would make him a lot more cooperative than usual…

**HEIJI:** Yeah, I think he’s the type of guy to literally rather gnaw through a wall to escape than talk to anyone about it. ‘Specially Shuji. No offense, dude.

**SHUJI:** None taken, I think.

**YUI:** Hmm. We’ve already established that the deceased really had it out for Shuji.

**LANI:** Which is why it would be self defense! I mean, if he did it. Which he didn’t!

**MIKI:** Lani-kun...I get wanting to protect your friend. I really do. But, it’s like Noriko-san said. Even if it was an accident or whatever, he’d be a murderer.

**LANI:** …!

**NORIKO:** It seems to me that we’re simply discussing the same pieces of evidence over and over again. Does anyone have anything else to present?

_ Aika grins in my direction. I really prefer her neutral face. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I do.

**AIKA:** Oh, bringing more lies to the table, are we?

**SHUJI:** I found a cellphone in the off-limits bathroom. It was under running water, and it’s broken as hell.

_ I fish in my pocket to produce it. _

**SHUJI:** Since there was this, and clothes in the dryer, I’m guessing that whoever is responsible got wet during the murder.

**ROXXY:** Oh! So the killer put their phone under the tap to make it seem like it wasn’t broken during the murder!

**FUMI:** But then they were still in an out of bounds area, which would make them look guilty…

**BO:** But nobody else is going in there! Everyone looked in rooms, but nobody looks in a place you don’t go!

**HEIJI:** Yeah, I didn’t even think to look in there. As far as hiding spots go for incriminating mumbo jumbo, it’s a pretty good spot.

**MIKI:** Guys this makes it so easy! Who has their phone with them? The killer won’t have their phone!

_ Oh fuck. I definitely left mine in my room. Shit. There’s enough evidence I’m half convinced I did it. Did I do it? No. I definitely didn’t. This sucks. _

_ People begin taking their phones out of pockets and displaying them.  _

**LANI:** I forgot mine in my room! I was woken up by the announcement and I guess I just ran over without thinking about it.

_ I’m not the only one? _

**KATHERINE:** Miki always has their phone. Mine is overkill.

**FUMI:** I forgot it too!

**HEIJI:** Mine doesn’t even have a flashlight mode or whatever so I don’t bring it places. It’d just get wet and break anyway.

**FUMI:** Heiji!

**HEIJI:** From the pool!

**YUI:** Hmm. That leaves Isei-kun and Shuji-kun.

**ROXXY:** Shu-chan doesn’t count! He told me this morning he left it in his room because he forgot to charge it last night! Like, check mate, right?

**MIKI:** Pfft, yeah, he left it uncharged because of all the murder he was doing.

**NORIKO:** That’s not helpful. We’ve narrowed things down, but we’re back to talking in circles.

**KYO:** Last time we reconstructed the crime, right? Let’s lay out what we think happened.

**YUI:** Excellent suggestion. We can review the facts and see where it takes us.

**FUMI:** Where do we start?

**ROXXY:** Kata showed up at the bathhouse, ready for murder. Since he obvi wanted to kill Shu-shu, I’m guessing he, like, put the male tag on the door so nobody else could come in.

**KATHERINE:** Shuji goes to join him. Doesn’t notice the marker, because he’s a boy. Do they fight?

**MIKI:** Maybe! Then Shuji wraps his hands around Kata’s throat--

_ Something here is wrong... _

**PV:** Which would be made easier by the fact that he’s of an appropriate height…

**KYO:** So he strangles him with his hands, bearing down on him--

**ISEI:** No way!

_ Before everyone even has a chance to turn and look at him after this outburst, he reaches over to me and squeezes my hand tightly. Damn, I guess it’s my time to step in again. _

**SHUJI:** That’s definitely wrong.

**AIKA:** Let me guess. You’re going to say ‘Oh, but I didn’t kill him!’

**SHUJI:** If I’m at such an ‘appropriate’ height to strangle Kata with my hands, why did the killer use a towel?

**BO:** Huh?!

**ISEI:** Yes!

**SHUJI:** I found a bath towel in the changing room, along with the male gender marker. The two were obviously hidden together, and super out of place.

**NORIKO:** That is consistent with the marks on his neck, too!

**AIKA:** You know a lot about bruising patterns? Hot.

**NORIKO:** Even if you think back to last time we were in here, Alena’s bruising was shaped like a hand. And… _ [Looking away] _ not everyone has good parents.

**SHUJI:** There are no finger shapes on his neck! It’s all wide and right up under his jawline, as if he were strangled  _ with _ something.

**KYO:** This doesn’t prove that you didn’t do it. If anything, it sounds like you know more about the crime than us.

**HEIJI:** Damn...I thought he was out of the woods this time for sure.

**ISEI:** _ [Blushing; Crying] _ So you think he was dumb enough to be so obvious about killing Kata that he’d do it on the same night there was a suspicious note and a seance--but smart enough to hide the evidence? Do you think he’s smart or stupid? Pick one.

**FUMI:** Isei-kun...are you alright?

**ISEI:** _[Wiping tears]_ I--I’m fine. Don’t bother. Just answer the goddamn question.

**BO:** I think Shuji-sama is smart!!

**MIKI:** Yeah...he seems smarter than to kill someone like this.

**PV:** It’s just too inconsistent, I agree.

**ROXXY:** I told you guys! It can’t be Shuji!

**YUI:** But we still don’t know who did it.

**AIKA:** I may have an answer for that…

**LANI:** You know?

**AIKA:** Absolutely. I put my observation skills to work, since everyone is...mm...lacking in that department. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt who killed Kata last night.

**BO** : Well, get to telling!

_ Aika turns and smiles in my direction, looking for all the world like a cat who just ate a lizard. It prompts a chill to run down my spine. I shiver slightly just from that look. _

**AIKA** : Isei Soga, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the trial will be up tomorrow (10/2)!
> 
> In the mean time...who do you think did it? Where are things going from here? Any predictions or comments are massively appreciated! Put fuel on my fire so I keep writing!


	22. Chapter Two: Patience (Trial Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final half of the trial!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has an execution in it, so watch out! Content warnings for drowning primarily but otherwise should be safe; nothing too horribly graphic.

**LANI** : Could you just...stop? Stop randomly flinging accusations?

**AIKA** : Think about it. His room is right next to Kata’s. He would have heard Kata leaving his room, followed him to the bath house, and killed him. His room was a complete mess too--guilty conscience much?

**SHUJI** : I don’t think--

**AIKA:** And, as we’ve all seen, Isei doesn’t have his phone with him. Which means…

**YUI** : It is possible that the broken phone belongs to the culprit, but I don’t think any of us seriously believe Isei is responsible.

**SHUJI** : Aika, you dumb bitch, we saw his phone in his room! We saw it! 

**MIKI** : Haha, go get ‘em champ! Tell her what’s up!

**KATHERINE** : Didn’t you think Shuji was the killer?

**MIKI** : I’m flexible and always down to witness a fight.

**SHUJI** : I’m--uh--sorry. I don’t know where that came from. But we did see Isei’s phone, plugged in in his room.

**AIKA** : _ [Smirking] _ What an interesting response…

**ISEI** : I can’t tell if she’s flirting with you or studying you…

**BO** : Nobody can tell…

**PV** : I hate to play the devil’s advocate--the devil in this case being Akiyama-san--but just because you saw his phone doesn’t clear him as the killer.

**LANI** : What do you mean? If his phone’s in his room, then that one can’t be his.

**PV** : Let me put it like this...Shuji-kun, did you try to turn on Soga-san’s phone when you saw it?

**SHUJI** : No, I wasn’t gonna touch his stuff. Why?

**PV** : Then it could just as easily be harmed by water damage. Do we have any evidence that the phone in question belongs to the culprit, and not the victim?

**SHUJI** : It’s true, Kata didn’t have his phone in his pockets.

**AIKA** : Just some coins, but nothing else...

**BO** :  _ [Gasps.]  _ But! Why? Why kill Kata  _ and _ his phone?

**PV** : I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps to cause the confusion we’re currently suffering from. If any one of us had a broken phone, while every other phone was intact, it would clearly point to the killer. However, if two phones are broken, and we’re not sure who they belong to…

**KYO** : Then it would be rendered a moot point. We wouldn’t be able to investigate further.

**FUMI** : But this narrows it down! The killer broke that phone on purpose, which means their phone  _ must _ be broken as well. Um. So...does everyone’s phone work?

_ Not to be beaten to any punch, Roxxy whips out her phone and turns on the screen, displaying it for everyone to see. Those who have their phones with them all do the same, showing that their phone is functional. _

_ All of them have working phones. _

**FUMI** : Damn…I thought that would work.

**ROXXY** : It did! Now we’ve totally got, like, a group that’s way smaller to be the killer!

**KATHERINE** : Only a boy could’ve entered the bath house.

**MIKI** : And only a boy who doesn’t have his phone here.

_ I look around for a moment, taking in who that might be. _

**KATHERINE** : Did...every single boy leave his phone in his room?

**HEIJI** :  _ [Laughing] _ Dude that is SO funny. Whoever killed him didn’t even need to hide the tag thing, cuz we’re all idiots who forgot our phones.

_ Isei buries his head in his hands. _

**ISEI** : We’re all so fucking dumb…

**BO** : But we can narrow it!

**YUI** : Perhaps discussion of the motivations behind the crime may become helpful once again. Now that we’ve ruled out Shuji, we need to discuss who among those left would want to hurt Kata.

**AIKA** : It seems to me like someone was attempting to frame Shuji. So perhaps one of the boys has it out for him?

**BO** : No way!

**ROXXY** : Um, like, no offense but everybody loves Shu-shu. It’s practically a scientific fact.

**AIKA** : Ah, I forgot I was in the presence of a world renowned scientist. Thanks.

**ROXXY** : You’re welcome, but also you’re such a bitch! Wow!

**AIKA** : I know.

**NORIKO** : Do any of you have anything against Shuji?

**LANI** : Of course not!

**HEIJI** : He’s my bro. You’re all my bros. I love you guys.

**KATHERINE** : Even the murderer?

**HEIJI** : Well, you know. You’re all my bros until proven otherwise via murder trial. Dig it?

**FUMI** : Let’s stay on track.

**KYO** : I doubt it was Isei, since Shuji routinely saves his life in these trials.

**MIKI** : Maybe it was out of protectiveness?

**YUI** : Elaborate.

**MIKI** : C’mon, Kata was being such a dangerous creep to Shuji. If all of them are ‘bros’ or whatever, then they’d want to protect him! I’m sure we all have someone in here we’d want to protect.

**KATHERINE** :  _ [Looking away, smiling.] _ …

**PV** : Okay, so we approach it from that angle. Who among them is most likely to want to protect Shuji?

**SHUJI** : You really think somebody straight out murdered someone on my behalf?

**AIKA** : Making you responsible.

**LANI** : Oh shut up! He is not responsible for anything that’s happened in here except maybe everyone eating good meals! I don’t know why everyone is on his back about everything!

_ Everyone turns to look at Lani. _

_ Uh oh. _

**FUMI** : Um...so who was the most angry at the seance? After Kata hit him?

**ROXXY:** Lani-chan! Wait. I don’t like where this is--

**YUI:** Who has routinely leapt to Shuji’s defense throughout this whole trial?

**BO:** Lani-sama...

**ROXXY:** I really don’t think we should go in this direc--

**KYO:** Who depends on Shuji the most for emotional stability in rough times?

**MIKI:** Damn, that’s gotta be Lani-kun.

**ROXXY:** C’mon, guys, that’s all of us! We shouldn’t--

**SHUJI:** There’s no way it’s Lani. I’m not gonna put up with this.

**NORIKO:** Do you have evidence?

**SHUJI:** I...well…

_ I close my eyes, trying to think back to the investigation. Is there anything? An alibi? Something anyone said that could point me in the right direction? _

**SHUJI:** He’s too short!

**KATHERINE:** We already decided height doesn’t have anything to do with it.

_ Fuck! _

**SHUJI:** But listen, he’s too short to even reach his neck. How would he even get up there?

**ISEI:** If Kata was on his knees.

**SHUJI:** What? No, that’s--

**ISEI:** Here. Shuji-kun. Stand up.

_ I stand, almost nauseous from confusion. _

**ISEI:** Lani-kun, you too.

_ Lani does as he says, eyes downcast and hands in fists. _

**ISEI:** We’re just gonna see if it is even possible, okay? We’re gonna act out the murder a little bit.

**KATHERINE:** Where is this confidence coming from?

**MIKI:** Maybe he’s a sick bastard who gets off on seeing Lani cry.

**LANI:** I’m--I’m not crying. I’m fine.

**SHUJI:** Defend yourself a little bit, buddy!

**LANI:** I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with.

**KYO:** We’ll need a stand in for a murder weapon.

_ I reach into my bag and pull out the tank top from the dryer. It could probably fit anyone here...But it does sortof seem like Lani’s style, doesn’t it? _

_ No! No. Lani isn’t a killer. _

_ I’m doing this to prove that Lani couldn’t have killed Kata. We’ll move on from there. _

_ I hand it to Lani, who just looks faintly sick. _

**NORIKO:** So, if Kata was on his knees there must have been a fight. Lani-kun, if you could please mime pushing Shuji over?

_ Lani complies. I faux stumble back, and fall to my knees. I look up at Lani--this is new, usually I look down at him pretty significantly--and he looks down at me with glossy eyes. His face unmoving, he steps behind me and wraps the shirt around my neck very loosely. _

**SHUJI:** I don’t know what this is going to prove--

**AIKA:** You’ll need to struggle, Shuji-kun.

_ I hate this. _

_ I reach back to touch Lani’s hands, figuring Kata must have clawed at the towel before--Wait. There’s something on Lani’s hands. _

_ I turn around, facing Lani again, and reach out for his hands. He offers them to me willingly, and looks at me with the widest most imploring eyes I’ve ever seen. _

**SHUJI:** Lani, what is this?

**LANI:** I’m sorry--I...I didn’t want to--

**MIKI:** What is it?

_ Katherine gets out of her chair and steps over to see. _

**KATHERINE:** Scratches. 

**ROXXY:** Maybe he was itchy! We don’t know that--

**LANI:** _[In tears.]_ I killed him.

**SHUJI:** No!

**LANI:** Let’s just stop. I did it. I killed him.

**BO:** Why?!

**LANI:** It’s like what you said. I thought Kata was going to kill Shuji. I went over there...I didn’t think I was going to...Oh jeez…

**FUMI:** Hey, sit down. You can tell us, but you probably need to sit.

_ Lani nods numbly and sits. I do the same. _

**LANI:** I thought I could talk to him. Talk some sense into him, or whatever. I got there, and it was so dark, and he took my phone and threw it into the bath, and he started yelling at me. He said maybe he should kill me instead and...I don’t know. I pushed him.

_ The heat of tears on my face is almost surprising. I don’t react. _

**LANI:** There was a towel hanging right there, and he was still cussing me out and…[Sobs.] I just kept going. I choked him until he went limp. And I realized what I’d done.

**ROXXY** :  _ [In tears.]  _ You just wanted to protect him! All of us!

**YUI:** _ [Nodding.]  _ He was a threat. He proved that.

**LANI:** I was so scared. Without my phone for light...I got it out of the water, and put Kata to float...I don’t know, maybe I thought you guys would think he’d drowned. I used his phone for light, and I started hiding things. I replaced the gender tag and didn’t even realize I’d taken the towel and the boys’ tag with me…

**SHUJI:** You realized halfway through that having Kata’s phone was a death sentence. So you drowned it, too.

**LANI:** _ [Nods.]  _ I didn’t realize everyone would think it was you, Shuji. I didn’t know...I didn’t want this.

_ Without thinking, I stand up and go to his seat. I yank him out of it by his shoulders and pull him into the tightest hug I can. _

**SHUJI:** I don’t blame you. Nobody here blames you.

_ Lani practically collapses into my arms, sobbing into my sweater and clutching at my back. He’s shaking like a leaf. He’s so...small. He’s so young. _

**THE FEY:** This is all veeery touching, but we’ve got a schedule to keep to. It’s time to vote, kiddos.

**SHUJI:** Wait!

**THE FEY:** Time and the tide wait for no man!

**ISEI:** And you’re neither, so give us a fucking break!

**THE FEY:** You shut your smarmy little mouth before I shut it for you. I am your God here. I decide when you live or die. And right now? It’s time for one of you to die.

**SHUJI:** What happens if we don’t vote? Or if we all vote for ourselves?! 

_ Please, please, please, give me some options here. Lani refuses to look up at the Fey, and is still holding onto me like his life depends on it. This time, it might actually depend on it. _

**THE FEY:** Interesting question. In the case of no-votes, each vote counts for yourself. In the case of a tie, everyone is executed. After all, it’s only fair.

**YUI:** And if we just vote for someone else entirely?

**THE FEY:** Then the culprit goes free! Unless there’s extenuating circumstances, heehee...

**YUI:** And the person we voted for?

**THE FEY:** Executed, of course! This is a democratic system, after all. And the rest of you live your happy little lives in here.

**LANI:** No! Don’t do it!

**FUMI:** He’s just a little kid! We can’t let him die!

**LANI:** Please! I can’t...nobody else can die for me. Please. Please.

_ He pushes me off, still muttering pleas to kill him. Tears are still flowing freely down his face, and his small body is trembling, but he’s strong in his conviction. _

**LANI:** I killed another human being. Not only did I kill him, I tried to hide it. None of you deserve to die in my place.

**AIKA:** ...Even me?

**LANI:** You’re a horrible person, but you haven’t killed anybody! You deserve to...to live. I believe in you.

**AIKA:** He truly is a better person than I…

**HEIJI:** Lani! I take back what I said, you’re still my bro even if you’re a murderer!

**PV:** This isn’t fair!

**THE FEY:** Enough! If you wait any longer it’s going to be a big family style execution!!

_ I sit down, watching Lani slump back into his seat and vote. _

_ With tears hitting my tablet’s screen, I find a picture of Lani. He’s in that same school uniform, grinning cheekily at the camera. With no goggles in his hair, he almost looks like a different person. I select him, and push the tablet away, choking back a sob. _

_ A screen descends from the ceiling, stopping above The Fey’s alcove, and flickers to life. Three cute pixel versions of people show up on screen. Next to one that looks like Lani is the number 13. Next to one that looks like Fumi is the number 1. The last one looks like Isei, and has another number 1 next to it. _

**THE FEY:** Wow! The goth voted for Isei to fuck with people and...oh, MILF, you know you’re never going to save him, right? Hahaha!

**FUMI:** _[In tears.]_ That will never stop me from trying.

**THE FEY:** Any last words, short stack?

**LANI:** I...I was scared of the dark. I always have been. But...you guys made it better. I love you guys. You’re gonna get out of here! You’re gonna be stronger than me! T-tell my sister...tell her I love her and...Oh my god...I’m going to die? I’m...I…

_ A metal claw reaches out and grabs Lani by the throat. We make eye contact as he’s dragged away. It’s a look I vow to never forget. _

_ The image on the TV changes. I don’t want to look, but something in my forced my eyes to that screen. I owe him this. Observation of his death. His last moment. My vision is blurred by tears, but I’ll do my best. _

Purifying Flames

_ First, I see what seems to be a wide shot of a black swamp. The light is dim, but bright enough that I can make out Lani in the dead center of this swamp, up to his waist in sludge. The camera slowly zooms in on him, to the point that I can see the terror and disgust in his eyes. _

_ He lifts his arms, looking at what this sludge is, and looks absolutely revolted.  _

_ But, unlike Masanori’s execution, the danger is not yet obvious. _

_ He starts trying to move around in the swamp, but his motion is clearly impeded by the thick slime permeating the area. He’s squinting in the darkness, shivering, with the muck now on his arms and face as he tries to make any progress. _

_ Floodlights come on, almost like searchlights, and begin poring over the area. At least they’re providing some illumination for poor Lani. Lani perks up at the light, and seems to set sight on a goal to work towards. Escape is too much to hope for...and yet… _

_ One of the lights edges toward Lani, but as soon as the light touches his arm, he stumbles back away from it with a yell. The side of his arm that it had touched was boiling as if burned, smoking slightly as he dives further into the swamp. _

_ The lights are searching for him now, that much is clear. _

_ Each time one touches him, I see the smoke from the burn it creates on his body. _

_ But Lani is a strong swimmer, even in sludge. He slaps his goggles on his face and drops into a strong crawl stroke, surging deeper into the muck. _

_ The lights, which had previously been set to wandering over the swamp trying to find him, move with more purpose now. _

_ But so does he. _

_ The parts of him that are covered in the horrible slime can’t be burned. Hope rises in my chest, and I hold my breath as I watch him. If he gets covered completely, then perhaps-- _

_ The lights converge over him, but he keeps swimming. _

_ Even the strongest swimmer isn’t used to swimming in a nightmare, however. The viscous fluid is too thick. He’s tiring too fast.  _

_ Lani tries to rest, to wade in the muck for a moment, but there’s no bottom to it now. It’s a sucking, pulling slime trying to pull him into its depths at the same time as the burning fiery lights seek him out.  _

_ Panting, he tries to continue. _

_ He tries. _

_ But he’s so tired, and the lights are so persistent, even beginning to burn off the sludge that has clung to him in his mad dash for survival. _

_ He begins to sink. _

_ The lights that we believed would be his death reflect in his horrified eyes as the polluted muck swallows him up. His mouth opens to scream, but it is filled with black. As he sinks, finally, underneath the tar, he closes his eyes. _

_ Perhaps he is at peace. _

_ Perhaps he is simply gone. _

_ Either way… _

Pi’Lani Ozaki, the Super High School Level Solar Technician, is dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> Yeah.
> 
> My bad.
> 
> Next update will be on 10/16!
> 
> If you want to yell at me join the discord server! The link is in the summary and I deserve to be berated for this.


	23. Interlude 2: Solitary

_ Come to an arcade with the boys _ , he’d said.  _ It’ll be fun, _ he’d said.

Well, now he was dealing with sweat rolling down his back as some little kid--was he really from class?--insisted on a 3rd rematch.

He laughed, and shoved the kid lightly aside as they got back on the game.

“I’m gonna win this time,” the kid said fiercely.

“How old are you, dude? Don’t you have homework or something?” he replied, barely making the words out between wheezes and laughter. 

He was gonna be sore tomorrow, but...hey, maybe it was fun. Maybe he’d have to learn to be friends with these people, even if it seemed a little dangerous. Hope’s Peak couldn’t be  _ that _ strict, could it?

“I’m 14!” the kid squeaked confidently.

“Is that middle school?” he said teasingly.

“Come on man, we literally go to the same class!” he said, laughing. “Don’t you recognize me? The goggles were supposed to be a trademark, but I got dress coded…”

He put some coins into the game. Shit talking would only last them so long before the kid would be demanding they start it up again.

“Maybe I’m just too old to recognize you from far away,” he said with a shrug as the game fired up.

“I’m gonna win this time!” the kid said.

“Being a super genius doesn’t make you good at dancing!” he retorted.

“I  _ am _ a super genius! And I’m gonna win!”

The music started, and the kid was already struggling at keeping up. He didn’t get how it could be that hard. You just move your feet to match the arrows, right? For a moment, watching the fierce determination on the kid’s face as he diligently missed almost every single cue, he considered throwing the match and letting the kid have a win.

Then, he remembered that this 14 year old was a super genius.

He figured the kid could afford to lose a little bit more.

When the game was over, the kid collapsed on the ground, laughing all the same.

“So much for winning, huh?” he said, offering the kid a hand to stand.

The kid laughed and took the hand, standing up and grinning at him.

“Hey, I won something, right?”

He raised his eyebrows.

“What did you win?”

The kid stuck out his tongue. “Well now we’re friends, right? That’s something.”

He laughed, closing his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, the kid was no longer smiling.

There was something on his skin--something black and dripping. The kid looked up at him with wide, imploring eyes.

“I wanted to help,” the kid said, his voice choked with dry sobs. “I wanted to save you.”

“I don’t understand,” he said, suddenly very cold.

“I don’t either...I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die...Please...please…”

“Why are you alone?” he demanded, stepping forward to take the boy’s shoulders. The black slime dripped onto his hands, but he didn’t notice.

“I don’t know! Please! I don’t want to die! Please!”

 

P

.

.

.

L

.

.

.

E

.

.

.

A

.

.

.

S

.

.

.

E

.

.

.

 

_ My eyes open as I take a deep breath in. _

_ Some nightmares leave you sweaty and shaking, but this one just leaves me with a cold sense of dread in my stomach. Something is wrong here. _

_ I wipe my face with my hands. They come away wet. Tears. Not black polluted swamp water. Just my own tears. _

_ Of course something is fucking wrong. _

_ Lani is dead. _

_ My body shudders with a sob I didn’t see coming, and I roll over. _

_ Why was he alone? _

_ I fall asleep quickly thereafter. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically I think I said I'd update tomorrow, so early update ahoy!
> 
> Chapter 3 will start in two weeks! The 29th of October!
> 
> RIP


	24. Chapter Three: Panic (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the last trial, everyone needs some time to recover. They're given that, as well as new areas to explore!
> 
> Part one of the initial investigation of the new rooms, because it gets pretty heavy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one starts off pretty rough, given the content of the last chapters! It picks up, though! This is a story involving recovery and hope, not just being sad.

**THE FEY:** It’s 7 AM, and time to wake up! Remember, you have no future. You’re gonna DIE in here!

_ I consider just staying in bed after that. _

_ Who wouldn’t? I mean, after a night full of ominous nightmares? After an afternoon of investigating the death of a teenager, ended with the death of a dear friend? _

_ He was just a kid. _

_ Sure, he was only two years younger than me, but… _

_ I throw an arm over my eyes and sob. _

_ He was just a kid. _

_ Some part of me, the rational bit in the back of my head, is telling me to be strong. To get up, to face the day. It wants me to shower, to get dressed, and to help everyone else with the sorrow they’re surely feeling as well. It urges me ever forward, just as it always has. _

_ When I was kicked out, it urged me forward. When I dropped out of school, it urged me forward. When Alena died, it urged me forward. _

_ I can’t say that I handled Alena’s death well. Or at all, really. I just stowed it in a part of my mind that was safe to look at when I opened it up, and otherwise tried to mind my own business. I liked her, and she didn’t deserve that, but I didn’t know her that well. I could stow it. I could hide it. I could be urged on. _

_ Tears leak down my face as I try to put my grief away this time. How can I ignore this? How can I just live my life as if nothing happened? As if he didn’t mean anything to me? He was my friend. _

_ He was my friend, and he was just a kid. _

_ My sobs descend into hiccups before long, however. Intense sorrow like this can only last so long before you just get tired.  _

_ “You have no future,” The Fey had said. _

_ I can believe it, right now. The idea of escape, of the normal world, seems so far off as to be a fantasy.  _

_ The sharp knocking on my door rouses me from my depressed stupor, contemplating eternity trapped in a murder mansion. _

_ There’s a moment where I try to rationalize ignoring it and rolling over, sleeping until everybody forgets about me, but I get out of bed and shuffle over to the door. _

**SHUJI:** What is it?

_ I crack open the door, resisting any kind of social contact, and see Isei. He seems to be holding something, but since the door is only open about as wide as one of my eyeballs, I can’t make it out. _

**ISEI:** Hey, dude.

**SHUJI:** What’s up?

_ God my voice is gruff. My throat feels all scratchy from so much crying and so little talking. Embarrassed, I avert my eyes as he replies. _

**ISEI:** I came to check up on--hey, can I come in? I’m holding some stuff and I wanna set it down.

_ There’s a new part of my brain, deep in the back of my head. A new friend to keep my rational, motivated part of me company. A part of me that says I can’t trust Isei. That I can’t trust anybody. That Lani was a killer, and he was my friend, but he killed someone and is dead now for it. A part of me that says Kata was right; everyone I become close to dies. _

_ Slowly, I look up at him. _

_ I can’t let that part of me take over, can I? _

**SHUJI:** Sure.

_ I swing the door open and move to sit on the bed. My movements are still sluggish, and a distinct headache is setting in. _

_ Isei comes in and sets whatever he has on my desk before closing the door after him. I’m not watching him, instead letting my gaze stick onto the floor. Somehow it seems easier that way. _

**ISEI** : I’m no cook or anything, but...well, I was worried about you. Roxxy pointed out that you’ve been cooking for everyone and I...uh…

_ What is he talking about? _

_ Curious, I finally look up. _

_ There he is, standing like a nervous antelope, with one hand scratching the back of his neck and the other stuffed so deep in his pocket it’s like he’s trying to burrow in for the winter. On my desk is a tray with a cup of what smells like coffee, a bowl of oatmeal, and a plate with toast on it. _

**SHUJI:** You made me breakfast?

**ISEI:** I’m no cook. It’s instant oatmeal I found after some serious digging in the pantry, and some toast with jam on it. I don’t know what you like...I uh, I brought sugar and a little bit of cream for the coffee too. 

_ I stand up to get a look at it. Sure enough, there’s a small carafe of cream and a tiny dish for sugar. I almost want to take a picture of it. It’s so...domestic. _

**SHUJI:** This is the sweetest thing anyone’s done for me.

**ISEI:** Aw, don’t joke around man. 

**SHUJI:** Why did you do all this?

**ISEI:** Wh--do you know what time it is?

**SHUJI:** I don’t know. 7:30 maybe?

_ Isei shakes his head. _

**ISEI:** It’s almost noon. Nobody had seen you and I--we were worried about you.

**SHUJI:** Don’t.

**ISEI:** Hm?

**SHUJI:** Don’t ask me if I’m okay.

_ Isei reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder, prompting me to look up into his eyes. _

**ISEI:** None of us are okay. You don’t walk away from something like that and be okay. 

**SHUJI:** How do I move on? How do I...how do I walk away at all?

_ Isei shrugs, but doesn’t let go of me.  _

**ISEI:** I don’t know.

**SHUJI:** Does anyone know?

**ISEI:** Maybe.

**SHUJI:** What kind of answer is that?

_ I sink into the desk chair, burying my face in my hands. _

_ Isei squats next to me, and puts a hand on my knee, shaking it a little. He doesn’t say anything until I look at him, not bothering to disguise the irritation on my face. Tears are leaking down my face despite myself, and I probably look like a mess. _

_ He just looks at me, though. Those solemn grey eyes bore into my head like a drill.  _

**ISEI:** You know what’s funny?

_ I blink. That’s not what I expected him to say. _

**SHUJI:** ...Funny?

**ISEI:** This is the kind of conversation I expect you to have with people, not me. I’m not the comforting type.

**SHUJI:** You could be if you wanted.

**ISEI:** Would I have to get a sweater?

_ I nod dumbly. _

_ Isei cracks a smile, and it’s almost enough to make me cry again. I can’t stand smiling right now. I shake my head and turn away from him, but he doesn’t move. _

**ISEI:** The point that I meant to make is that it doesn’t matter if none of us know how to move on. I’m not positive anybody ever really knows how to move on from something like this. But we’re gonna do what people have always done?

**SHUJI:** ...Go back to sleep?

**ISEI:** I’m being serious here. You know the answer.

**SHUJI:** I don’t think I do. Not anymore. Not right now.

**ISEI** : Okay, fair enough. We’re going to do what people have always done: try. We’ll depend on each other, lean on one another, and just keep trying. Without that, we’ll all go crazy. 

_ There’s a moment where we both just sit--him crouching and me in the desk chair--looking at each other. That’s the kind of thing that doesn’t really warrant a response. Anything I would say would be childish and embarrassing. ‘But it sounds hard!’ Yeah, no shit, it sounds hard.  _

_ I blink slowly, taking a shuddering breath in, and feel a hot tear drip down my cheek. _

_ Isei reaches up and brushes the tear away. _

_ It sounds hard, but what other option do I have? I can’t stay in bed and rot. Who would that help?  _

_ I have people I can depend on. _

_ I have Bo and Roxxy for sure--they’re willing to know me in the way that only deep, true friends do. The rest, even, are supportive in their ways. Nobody wants to see me fail. Nobody wants to fail on their own. _

**ISEI:** What’s on your mind? You look like you’re thinking a lot of thoughts.

**SHUJI:** Just...thinking over what you said. 

_ Maybe Isei could be a deep, true friend too. _

**ISEI:** Do you want to be left alone? We could explore together, if you’re up to it.

**SHUJI:** Explore? What?

**ISEI:** There’s a third floor, now. 

_ I pour sugar and cream into the coffee and take a sip. It’s the perfect temperature. _

**SHUJI:** Anything good?

_ Isei shrugs. _

**ISEI:** I haven’t gotten to see it yet.

_ I take a bite of the toast.  _

**SHUJI:** Why not?

**ISEI:** No reason. 

_ I raise an eyebrow, continuing to eat. _

**ISEI:** ...I was waiting around for you to show up. I figured you might’ve been hit pretty hard by things, and when you didn’t make it in time for breakfast--well…

**SHUJI:** You really were worried about me?

**ISEI:** Pshaw. You’re fine. I know that.

_ I finish the toast before replying, and wash it down with a little bit more coffee. Getting some substance in me actually is helping a lot. I know it won’t fix anything, but at least now I’m not light headed and weak. _

**SHUJI:** Thank you, Isei.

**ISEI:** Wow, already dropping honorifics?

**SHUJI:** Oh, my bad. Thanks, Isei-sama.

_ Isei splutters, which turns into a laugh. He throws his head back and guffaws, like some kind of dad asserting dominance in a new social scenario. He slaps his leg, and nearly falls backward from his semi-precarious position of sitting on his haunches, before leaning forward again and wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. _

**ISEI:** Sama. That’s pretty good.

_ I can’t help but grin. Something about making someone laugh takes the edge off even the worst of it. He grins back, and gets to his feet. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he turns toward the door. _

**ISEI:** _ [Clears throat.]  _ So, are you coming? I can leave you here, Shuji.

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I’ll come. But I’m in my pajamas. 

**ISEI:** _[Awkward.]_ Oh, I’ll step out for a minute and let you change. Sorry.

_ I snort as he leaves, and take a moment to get dressed. I pause in the mirror, despite knowing that Isei is waiting for me outside the door, and try to take in what I’m seeing. _

_ I see a boy in a yellow sweater. I see a boy with bags under his slightly bloodshot eyes. I try on a smile, and I see a boy who is playing pretend at happiness. _

_ How long have I been here? _

_ I count on my fingers, trying to remember each day as it passed. _

**SHUJI:** Two weeks…

_ All this, in just two weeks? _

_ I shake my head. Isei is waiting outside for me. _

**SHUJI:** How do I look?

_ I pose, as if I weren’t just having some kind of existential nightmare while looking in the mirror. Isei laughs.  _

**ISEI:** You look like shit, dude. 

**SHUJI:** Ah...fair.

**ISEI:** C’mon, we’ve got a whole new floor to check out.

_ Sure enough, he leads me to the second set of stairs and the grate across it is gone. Absentmindedly, I pull out my tablet to check out the new map while we climb the newest set of stairs. _

**SHUJI:** Where do you want to start?

**ISEI:** How about that game room at the end of the hall? Sounds promising.

_ I nod. With the last set of rooms, it seemed like everything was set up so that things could be used as weapons. Poisons, drowning...all sorts of stuff. Nothing good. But how could you kill someone with a game? _

_ The game room comes at the end of a long hallway, and as we walk to it we pass another set of gated stairs, suggesting a fourth floor. Idly, I wonder what could be up there, but I shake my head sharply as I banish the thought. The only way to find out is for more people to die, and going down that train of thought only leads to a horrible guessing game of “Who is next?” _

_ I really don’t want to go there today. _

_ Let’s hope this game room can distract me from the spiral of doom and gloom that keeps threatening to take over any time I stop paying attention. _

//A medium-sized room with wood paneled walls and tan carpet, with wooden shelves on every wall but one. The shelves are primarily full of board game boxes, though there is one shelf with old school video game cases and consoles as well. Against the wall without shelves is an old CRTV with a gamecube hooked up to it, and in the center of the room is a round table with chairs. 

//Kyo and Bo are standing near one of the shelves, while Heiji sits cross legged on the floor in front of the CRTV.

**BO:** Heiji-sama! This one has monsters!!

**HEIJI:** Yeah little dude! They’ve all got monsters, don’t they?

**KYO:** Do you really think getting that thing working is going to be more rewarding?

**HEIJI:** Can I ask you a question, Kyo-san?

**KYO:** Anything, naturally.

**HEIJI:** Do I look to you like a man with a rock hard imagination?

**KYO:** I...am not certain what that might look like.

**HEIJI** : I just like video games! They don’t require too much thinking or brain power.

**BO:** Humans have an incredible amount of brain power, actually! You could probably power at least one space ship or extra terrestrial vehicle using just the electricity in your brain!

**HEIJI:** Oh, word?

**KYO:** You’ve been on many extra terrestrial vehicles, Bo-san?

**BO:** Uh, duh! Just not since I remember. They blacked out my memory because it made me too powerful.

_ Kyo laughs, but otherwise returns to what seems to be a book in their hand, while Heiji goes back to playing with wires for the Gamecube. It seems as good a time as any to talk to them and explore the room without interrupting anything. _

[Bo] / [Heiji] / [Kyo] / [Shelves]

**[SELECT: Bo]**

_ I step over to Bo, and Isei follows me. They perk up at the sight of me, and initiate our secret handshake. Just the motions are surprisingly soothing, despite everything that’s happened. _

**SHUJI:** Hey buddy.

**BO:** Shuji-neesama! And Isei-sama!

**ISEI:** Ohhh…

**BO:** Hm? Yes? What?

**ISEI:** Sama. It just clicked where you got that.

**SHUJI:** Uhh, obviously it came from my utmost respect of you.

**BO:** I still don’t know what we’re talking about!

**SHUJI:** Actually, that’s a good point. Why do you call everyone sama? You’re pretty casual other than that.

**BO:** Oh! Well, as a delegate to Earth, I need to represent my people well and be respectful of all the humans I meet!

_ I frown at them, but their head moves in Isei’s direction and I can tell they’re nervous about doing their whole backstory in front of someone they don’t know very well. Or, at least, someone they don’t have a secret handshake with. _

**SHUJI:** Are there any...other...reasons?

**BO:** ...My adoptive siblings back in France told me to be polite or people would be really mean to me here. They also told me to stop being such a freak but, when you’re from outer space, what can you do?

**ISEI:** They said that? That’s really harsh.

**BO:** _[shrugs]_ They’re harsh humans, I guess.

**ISEI:** I don’t think it’s okay that they said that. You’re not a freak, Bo-san.

**BO:** Huh? You think so?

**ISEI:** You’re a fun kid who does a lot of breaking and entering. That’s pretty cool.

**BO:** _ [Stars in their eyes]  _ Cool? You think so?

**ISEI:** Hell yeah, you’re cool.

**BO:** Do you think I’m tough, too?

**ISEI** : Sure! Do you want to be tough!

**BO:** Everyone wants to be tough!!

**SHUJI:** I’m fine with not being tough, actually. 

**BO:** And that’s why everyone loves you!

**ISEI:** So what do you think of the game room?

**BO:** I LOVE IT! Who doesn’t love games?!

_ Bo practically jumps up and down with excitement, indicating the whole room with broad sweeps of their arms. _

_ They seem so...normal. Like, normal for them, I mean. _

**SHUJI:** Hey...I don’t mean to derail the conversation or anything, but how are you holding up?

**BO:** I’m completely fine!

_ I frown, and think about turning away. But I feel like I know Bo well enough now to try talking to them about this. _

**SHUJI:** After Lani...after last night? You’re fine?

_ Bo looks at me blankly for a moment, before whipping off their hood to look me in the eyes. Their purple eyes are bloodshot. There’s bags deeper than I’ve ever seen on them. They look exhausted. _

**BO:** I tell myself I’m fine until I am.

_ Their voice is uncharacteristically even. There’s no smiling, no excitement, no exuberance. They’re flat. _

**SHUJI:** That’s not--that’s not healthy!

**BO:** I don’t care!

**ISEI:** What?

**BO:** I don’t care if it’s healthy or not! It’s what I can do, so I’m doing it. I’m. Fine.

_ They look like they’re about to cry, but before I can say anything else they put their hood back on and fix a smile onto their face. They look as goofy as ever, as if nothing at all had happened. _

**BO:** I’m gonna keep looking at the games, okay? Talk to you later.

_ Well, that’s the end of that I guess. _

**[SELECT: Heiji]**

_ Heiji doesn’t even notice Isei and I approach, he’s so focused on untangling the cords. He looks relaxed, though, which is absolutely opposite to my typical approach of untangling things. _

**SHUJI:** Hey.

**HEIJI:** Hey.

**ISEI:** Hey.

**HEIJI:** Hey to you too.

**SHUJI:** …

**ISEI:** …

**HEIJI:** …

_ Wow, he hasn’t looked up once. He’s just happily playing with the cords.  _

**ISEI:** (Is it just me or is he in a total zen state right now?)

**SHUJI:** (I don’t know. Should we leave him alone?)

**ISEI:** (Maybe we can come back later?)

**HEIJI:** Nah, stay with me for a bit. It’s gonna take some work to get everything nice and peachy, anyway. Oh, side note, I can totally hear you dudes when you whisper.

**SHUJI:** I guess we gathered that last point.

**HEIJI:** Noice! What’s up, guys?

**ISEI:** Uh, just checking in...right?

**SHUJI:** How are you doing?

**HEIJI:** Welp. I cried a lot last night, and I thought a lot about what I’m gonna do when I get out of here. Do you have like a tissue or something? This thing is mega dusty.

_ Isei digs in his pockets and finds a little packet of tissues, much crumpled but still useful. I crouch next to Heiji to see what he’s doing. _

**SHUJI:** So what’s the plan?

**HEIJI:** Well, first I’m gonna sort out all the wires, then it’s kinda plug everything into everything until something works, right?

**SHUJI:** I meant after you get out of here.

**HEIJI:** Oh, I’m gonna hug my nephew real hard and tell my parents I love ‘em.

**ISEI:** Seems pretty tame, no offense.

_ Heiji keeps dusting off the console and TV, his face neutral but with a somewhat bemused smile. _

**HEIJI:** Sometimes I think about just...taking my board and swimming out and not coming back. Just seeing how far out I can go. I nearly drowned as a kid, didja know that?

_ I shake my head, despite myself. _

**SHUJI:** Fumi mentioned it.

**HEIJI:** Yeah. Since then, swimming in the ocean...it’s like my thing. Being close to death makes you feel alive, I guess.

**ISEI:** But that’s your own death. In here, we’re close to a completely different kind of death.

**HEIJI:** You’re tellin’ me, brother. I still feel that jolt, though. You know? Seeing someone...die. It makes me want to move, to go out there and swim, to...I don’t know…

**SHUJI:** To fix up old game consoles?

**HEIJI:** _ [Grinning.]  _ Yeah! Man, you get me. What are you dudes gonna do? When we get out.

**SHUJI:** I...don’t know.

**ISEI:** I’m gonna go punch people.

**SHUJI:** What? Like anyone in particular, or just passerby on the street?

**ISEI:** Being in here made me realize there’s a lot of shit I’ve put up with that I could’ve taken a stand against. Nothing out there is as bad as it is in here. A little bit of social pressure really stopped me from speaking my mind out there? Fuck that.

_ It’s hard to imagine Isei not standing up for himself. He’s always the one yelling back at The Fey, and having answers, and coming to make sure I’m okay. Though, I suppose he’s also the one who cries when too many people look at him.  _

_ I don’t really know him at all, do I? _

**HEIJI:** Hell yeah! Go get ‘em!

**ISEI:** But you’ve got nothing? No aspirations?

**SHUJI:** I guess I want to get a cat.

**ISEI:** Nice. What kind?

**SHUJI:** I’ve been thinking about those hairless goblin looking cats lately.

**HEIJI:** That’s so cute! They look like something to me...what are they reminding me of right now?

**ISEI:** ...Alena. That’s it, isn’t it?

_ I nod slowly, not sure what else to say. _

**HEIJI** : Hey, dudes, I love you and all but do you wanna help with this? You’re in my light.

**SHUJI:** Haha, sorry. We’ve got a bunch of new areas to check out.

**HEIJI:** Cool. See ya, then!

_ Onto the next thing, I guess. _

**[SELECT: Kyo]**

_ The two of us head over to Kyo, but before I can even greet them, they’re talking to me. _

**KYO:** You seem like a cleric type. What do you think? Cleric? 

**SHUJI:** You’ve lost me already.

**KYO:** Hmm, you’re right, you’re probably going to fill whatever role the party needs the most. I’ll need to do more preliminary research…

**ISEI:** _ [Snapping his fingers]  _ Earth to Kyo-san. Since when are you into tabletop games?

**KYO:** _ [Lighting up] _ Oh! Do you play, Isei-kun?

**ISEI:** I’m...uh...I’m familiar.

**KYO:** Oh you  _ are _  a closeted nerd! I love it! Don’t worry, we all are. There’s something about cooperative fantasy storytelling that really brings a group together, don’t you think?

**ISEI:** I mean…

_ Isei scratches the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable, though I’m still not sure why. _

**SHUJI:** You’re talking about a board game? 

**KYO:** Not quite! It’s a roleplaying game!

**SHUJI:** Oh! Like dungeons and dragons?

**KYO:** You do know! Excellent. And you’ll help me round everyone up to play with me?

**SHUJI:** Back up a bit. You want everyone to play dungeons and dragons with you?

**ISEI:** Like book club?

**KYO** : Exactly like book club! No, actually,  _ better _ than book club!

**SHUJI:** Do you have experience with the game?

**KYO:** Only a little. When you throw a lot of parties, like I do, sometimes it’s fun to incorporate themes! So a little roleplaying and dungeoneering has been in my past, and it was massively enjoyable.

**ISEI:** We’d have to teach people how to play.

**SHUJI:** You know how to play well enough to teach people? You must play a lot, then.

**ISEI:** I uh...no. Nope.

_ Okay that’s an obvious lie. His face is turning pinker the longer I squint at him, too. _

_ Kyo watches this exchange with clear amusement, and dives in to save Isei from my scrutiny. _

**KYO:** Anyway, I think this will be a perfect thing to keep the mood reasonable after the wake.

_ That gets my attention. _

**SHUJI:** We’re having another one?

**KYO:** _[Soberly.]_ He deserves a good send off. I didn’t--I didn’t expect him to die.

**SHUJI:** Ideally, none of us would.

**KYO:** Yeah, ideally. I’ve never been a good idealist. I didn’t want to believe it, but I had a feeling more people would...but I didn’t think it would be him.

**ISEI:** ...Who do you think is next?

**KYO:** _[Startled.]_ Oh, I’m not about to take bets or anything! That would be pretty macabre, don’t you think?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, let’s not go down that road right now.

**ISEI:** Hm.

**KYO:** A-anyway! The wake will be fun. We don’t have a music system anymore, but there’s a storage closet with some instruments. Maybe someone will know how to play?

**SHUJI:** Oh, a live band sounds fun!

**KYO:** _ [Intently]  _ Do you play any instruments, Shuji-kun?

_ They lean forward, almost getting in my personal space bubble, and it takes some self control not to take a few steps back. _

**SHUJI:** Uh I don’t think so! 

**KYO:** Okie dokie. I was just wondering!

_ They lean back with a peaceful smile, and pick up the book they’ve been looking through.  _

**ISEI:** Where are we having the wake this time? In the garden, as well?

**KYO:** I haven’t decided yet. I’ll be discussing things with my assistant--I mean, Yui--naturally, before I make any big decisions. We can talk about it tomorrow, if you want!

**SHUJI:** Am I still on--

**KYO:** Cooking duty? Only if you want to be! We were thinking of getting some recipe books from the library and trying our hands at some new stuff. I’m sure we’d appreciate your supervision, though!

**SHUJI:** Yeah. Okay, I’ll think about it.

**KYO:** That’s my man! You’re great! I’ve got some reading to do for the game, though! So I’ll talk to you lovely boys later on. Happy exploring!

_ They bury their nose in the book. Is that a...Monster Manual? Hmmm… _

**[SELECT: Shelves]**

_ Time to snoop as to what actually makes up the majority of content in this room, right? I avoid Bo and Kyo and peer intently at the shelves. _

_ All of them are fairly low, only coming up to chest level rather than the full length shelves from the library, which seems more appropriate for game shelves anyway. While at first they seemed to be a hodge podge of any random game on any shelf, upon close examination it seems that each shelf is themed. _

_ One shelf is purely game manuals, tabletop game guides, etc. There are books on how to play everything from Scrabble to Final Fantasy. I don’t know a lot about tabletop roleplaying games, but about half of the entire shelf is dedicated just to books about those.  _

_ The next is entirely board games. They range from classic games like chess and shogi to games in huge boxes with spaceships on the side that I wouldn’t recognize. My family was never a board game type of family, I guess. At least, they didn’t play board games with me anyway.  _

_ After that comes card games. There has to be about a million card games in this room alone, and I didn’t know there was more to a card game than like...I don’t know, Go Fish? Couldn’t you play almost any game with the same deck?  _

_ I pull one from the shelf, trying to determine what wild cards there could be to warrant their own decks, and look at a random card. _

//A white card with the word “Bees?” on it and nothing else.

_ Huh. I pull out another. _

//A white card with the words “Being a motherfucking sorcerer.”

_ I’m still not getting it. Another. _

//A black card with the words “What do old people smell like?”

**ISEI:** Never heard of it?

_ I shake my head, still baffled. _

**ISEI:** I’ll show you how to play sometime. It’s fun.

**SHUJI:** Okay...yeah, that sounds nice.

_ I put the game back, and turn to the video game shelf. These I’m a bit more familiar with. Some of these games are old, and some are pretty hard to find for sale these days too. I guess I should expect rare and expensive games in a place like this, but I definitely mark this place for a place to hang out in later. _

_ Maybe this captivity will give me an opportunity to finally beat Super Monkey Ball 2... _

_ With that, there’s not a lot else to do in this room. I’d better keep exploring. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This exploration segment is pretty long, so it'll be broken into multiple parts just for easier consumption! (Also to give me a chance to catch up so there's significant backlog oops)
> 
> Next update should go up on the 12th of November! My birthday is on the 5th, though, so this counts as my birthday update wink ;) Leave me a gift in the form of some feedback wink ;)


	25. Chapter Three: Panic (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of exploring the new areas and touching base with everyone after last chapter's trial!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday today so I decided to do a surprise early update! 
> 
> Also, the beginning of chapter 3 as a whole is pretty rough and sad, but it does get better, I promise! They don't get trapped in a total pit of despair!
> 
> ...yet...

_ There are no other rooms along this narrow hallway, so we end up back by the stairwell and hang a right. There are doors to either side, now, as well as a huge double doorway at the end of this new hallway. _

_ Cool. Choices. _

_ I go right first, to a door with a little plaque depicting a...french horn? _

_ Upon opening it, I’m greeted with a scene of chaos. _

//About the size of a small bedroom, this room is cram packed full of shit. There are musical instruments both in and out of cases, crammed in here without a lot of apparent forethought or storage strategy. The instruments range from string instruments (guitars, violas, violins, etc) to brass (tuba, french horn, trumpet, etc), woodwind (flute, saxophone, etc), and percussion. There is hardly room to stand. Fumi and Yui are standing near the doorway.

_ And I thought that storage closet downstairs was bad. _

**YUI:** This hallway is fairly large...hmm. If we take everything out and put it in the hallway, we would have an easier time of categorizing and sorting all of this so that we could put it back more easily.

**FUMI:** We could use the work stuff--er, workshop, I mean, to build shelves, maybe? Unless there are already shelves.

**YUI:** _[Squinting.]_ I honestly cannot tell.

**FUMI:** Yeah…

**YUI:** If only I’d brought a clipboard… _ [sighs.] _

[Fumi] / [Yui] / [Instruments]

**[SELECT: Fumi]**

_ Since this area is standing room only, it doesn’t take a lot to get Fumi’s attention. _

**FUMI:** Oh, hello Shuji-kun! Isei-kun, as well, I see. Did you get to sleep in?

_ I rub the back of my neck, picking up the gesture from Isei. _

**SHUJI:** Sure. You could call it that. Isei brought me breakfast.

**FUMI:** That’s so sweet!

**ISEI:** [ _ Blushing, frowning] I _ t’s nothing. 

**FUMI:** That’s not nothing! That’s the opposite! Something! Er...that sounded better in my head.

**SHUJI:** It was a good thing to do. Thanks again.

**ISEI:** _ [Blushing harder, almost crying from embarrassment, turning away]  _ Let’s change the subject. What’s going on in this room?

**FUMI:** Oh! Um. I’m not sure, actually. There’s more here than anyone would know what to do with, unless somebody brought an entire orchestra.

**SHUJI:** I guess this just contributes to the whole whoever put us here is super rich?

**ISEI:** Or has connections but...what purpose does this room have?

**FUMI:** Maybe they didn’t want us to get bored?

**ISEI:** Hmm. I’ll think about it.

**SHUJI:** Hey, how are you doing?

**FUMI:** I was going to ask you the same thing, actually. I know you two were close.

**SHUJI:** So were you! He was...He…

**FUMI:** I told him he was going to be an uncle to Hisato. I didn’t mean it. I lied. 

_ Wow, that’s pretty harsh. I squint at her, and despite her placid smiling face, her eyes seem glassier than normal. _

**SHUJI:** Huh.

**FUMI** : I mean--uh! That’s not what I meant. I meant that, despite how close we are--were, ugh--in age? I thought of him like a son. I wanted him to be Hisato’s brother. I wanted to--to--

_ A tear slips down her face, and her smile falters. _

**SHUJI:** To protect him.

**ISEI:** We all did.

_ It’s true. But he wanted to protect me. And died for it. _

_ I turn my face away from them, as much as I can in close quarters, and pretend to be looking at the piles of instruments.  _

_ What do you do with grief like this? Masanori and Alena’s deaths were not directly my fault, but Lani killed and died all to protect me, personally.  _

_ What do you do? _

**FUMI:** Are you okay?

**SHUJI:** …

**ISEI:** Shuji.

**SHUJI:** Hm? Oh, sorry. I was spacing out, I guess.

**FUMI:** You need rest.

**SHUJI:** I think I got enough of it this morning, thanks.

**FUMI:** I don’t think--I think- _ -[Sighs.]  _ I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to feel, even. I can’t tell you how to get better.

**ISEI** : Nobody can tell another person how to grieve.

**FUMI:** But I can hug you. Can I, I mean? I’ve been told I’m good at it.

_ I hesitate for a moment, not wanting to be pitied here, but it doesn’t take me long to acquiesce. She’s quite a bit shorter than me, so she gets on tip toes while I lean down, and she pulls me into a crushingly strong hug.  _

_ She’s soft, warm, and firm with her affection. She smells like baby powder, somehow. _

_ The hug lasts for a full 45 seconds before I pull away with tears in my eyes. _

**FUMI:** Oh no! Did I make it worse?

**SHUJI:** _ [Wiping tears.]  _ No. It’s just been a while since I’ve been hugged by my--by anyone’s mom.

**FUMI:** I’m so sorry, Shuji. You can have one from me any time.

**ISEI:** Is he getting son-zoned too?

**FUMI:** _ [Laughs]  _ Not quite. We’re friends, though, aren’t we?

_ I laugh, and it sounds wetter than I’d like through the tears. Ugh, Fumi has a wet spot on her shoulder now because of me. Gross. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah, we’re friends.

**FUMI:** Yes! Good. Though I have to ask...are my hugs as advertised? 

**SHUJI:** _ [Laughing, crying] _ They’re incredible.

**FUMI:** [ _ Smug.] _ I thought so. For the record, your hugs are good too! I didn’t expect a skinny boy like you to be good at hugging. Isei-kun, you should give it a try.

**ISEI:** _ [Clearing throat.]  _ I’m good for now.

**FUMI:** Your loss!

**SHUJI:** Thanks, Fumi-chan.

**FUMI:** Please, just call me Fumi. We’re all too deep in each other’s messes to depend on honorifics now, don’t you think?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I guess so.

**FUMI:** Oh, one more thing before you go. Can you check on Roxxy for me? She...needs someone to talk to, I think. I helped, but...you know. 

_ I nod, and Fumi goes back to the instruments. _

_ A never ending supply of mom hugs seems like maybe the only way to fix this emotional mess inside my head. I should write a self help book. “How to Cope with Your Friend Killing Someone and Then Themself Also Being Killed.” Chapter One: Hug a mom or mom-like figure. Chapter Two: Have a nervous punk rocker bring you toast. _

_ Hmm. _

_ Well, I guess I’ll keep working on ideas for Chapter Three. _

**[SELECT: Yui]**

**YUI:** Don’t move.

_ I pause with one foot in the air in my shuffle over to her. _

**SHUJI:** Um.

_ Yui glances my direction and tries to hide the fact that she’s rolling her eyes. _

**YUI:** Be careful, I mean. I didn’t think I needed to be so specific.

**ISEI:** What’s going on?

**YUI:** Can’t you tell?

**ISEI:** Would I fucking ask, if I could tell?

**YUI:** You’re so crass. 

**SHUJI:** Hey, are you alright? You seem incredibly stressed out.

**YUI:** _[Sighs deeply.]_ And you aren’t?

**SHUJI:** Of course I am. I’m not taking it out on other people.

**YUI:** Yes, and of course languishing in bed and forcing others to check on you, to make you breakfast, isn’t taking it out on people. Of course not.

**ISEI:** Could you cut him some slack? What is your problem?

**YUI:** My  _ problem _ is that we’re standing in a room so poorly organized 6 tons of musical instruments could come down on us at any moment. My  _ problem _ is that deaths keep happening. My  _ problem _ is you! Both of you! 

**SHUJI:** Stop.

**YUI:** Oh, I should stop? If I stop, nobody else will start! I have a job, a duty, to perform. I am going to do it. I’m going to make sense of this room.

**SHUJI:** You’re going to organize the room and refuse to organize whatever is going on inside your head?

_ She glares at me. I feel icicles creeping up my spine as she stares me down, her expression perfectly livid. I have to stand my ground or she might literally freeze me to the spot with her ice-ray powers. _

**SHUJI:** You’re scared. You’re miserable. You’re freaking out. 

**YUI:** And you’re so much better?!

**SHUJI:** No! I’m absolutely as bad, I’m just not yelling at anyone about it!

**ISEI** : We all cope differently. But this isn’t...coping. This is avoiding it.

**YUI:** Avoiding...it?

_ Her expression falters; she seems to doubt herself for a moment. She looks away, becoming thoughtful, touching her chin gently with her fingertips. _

**ISEI:** You don’t have to deal with the whole thing right now, but you have to deal with some of it. Lashing out isn’t gonna work out in the long run.

**YUI:** How do you know all this?

**ISEI:** I study criminals. 

**YUI:** _[Glaring.]_ Ah, and I’m so similar to a criminal that you’d use your immense knowledge of them on me?

**ISEI:** Just shut up, okay? People make bad decisions because of the environment most of the time. That’s most of theft and drug dealing. But violence comes from lots of places. Lashing out, wanting to hurt others, comes from the inside. There’s ways to deal with it, but if you don’t, you’ll go down a bad path.

_ Yui looks away again, biting her lip. _

**YUI:** And I suppose I’ll end up executed next, you mean to say?

**ISEI:** _[Shrugs.]_ Or just in prison, if we were in the real world. 

**SHUJI:** I don’t see Yui as the prisoner type.

**YUI:** _ [Smiling.] _ I don’t think I’d do well there, no. Stripes aren’t exactly my preferred style.

**SHUJI:** The point is, you can talk to us. Like people. Think through what you’re actually feeling and talk about it with us. There’s no point in avoiding being vulnerable in here, right?

**YUI:** I don’t...Hmm.

**ISEI:** Go ahead.

**YUI:** I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be vulnerable and get...hurt.

**SHUJI:** We’ll protect each other.

**YUI:** [ _ Sharply.] _ Like Lani did?

_ Ouch. _

**SHUJI:** I…

_ I don’t know what to say. _

**ISEI:** Now where do you think a thing like that is gonna get you?

**YUI:** Pardon?

**ISEI:** What was the point of what you just said? Did it make you feel good? Did it make us feel good? Did it contribute anything positive or thoughtful to the world? For fuck’s sake.

**YUI:** _ [Looking away.] _ I don’t know.

**SHUJI:** I’m sorry. 

**YUI:** What? Why are you apologizing? I...said something hurtful, didn’t I?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, but you’re hurting too. I’m sorry about all of this. I wish I could change it.

**YUI:** ...Me too. I’m sorry too.

**SHUJI:** If organizing this room makes you feel better, more power to you, okay? Just don’t hurt yourself. Please.

**YUI:** I think I will. I’ll try to gather my thoughts. Thank you.

**[SELECT: Instruments]**

_ It’s hard  _ not  _ to look at the instruments in here. This room seems reasonably sized, but with the four of us in here I don’t think any of us can get more than a foot or two into the room. Still, I’m going to try my best to investigate these. _

_ I take a step back and nearly stumble into Isei, who nearly stumbles out of the door, to try to observe this mountain. What’s really getting me here is that half of them aren’t even in cases. The ones that are in cases are harder for me to name, since a lot of them are just rectangles, but...wrow. _

**SHUJI:** That’s a lot of instruments.

**ISEI:** No kidding.

_ He gets out from behind me and kneels on the floor by the bottom of the mountain. The foothills, if you will, where single instruments lay without an entire heap on top of them. He moves aside a piccolo and a violin, methodically searching for… _

**SHUJI** : What is it?

**ISEI:** I thought I saw something. Get down here, you’ve got sharp eyes.

**SHUJI:** Do I?

**ISEI:** Mmhm. Get over here.

_ Dutifully, I kneel next to him.  _

**SHUJI:** Oh.

**ISEI:** And you doubt yourself? Psh.

_ I pull out a piece of paper, the corner of which was sticking out from under the since moved string instrument. _

_ Was he testing me? He must have already seen this. _

_ I turn it over to get a look at the front side of what seems to be an invitation. _

  


**SHUJI:** What is this?

_ There’s a cold feeling creeping all over my body as I look at this piece of paper. It’s nice paper, weighty and satisfying in my hands, despite the fact that it looks like it’s been folded and buried under these instruments for weeks. It cost money. _

_ So did everything in here. _

_ This… _

_ Was this used to lure all of us somewhere? Was this used to kidnap all of us? _

**ISEI:** It’s one of us.

_ I barely look up. My grip is creasing the invitation, but I don’t care. _

**ISEI:** It has to be. It has to be someone in our class. 

**SHUJI:** Why?

_ My voice is low in my throat, almost a growl. _

**ISEI:** There were 17 of us to start with, that’s about the size of a Hope’s Peak Academy standard classroom. This says ‘our time in school…’ 

**SHUJI:** No. Why would someone do this?

**ISEI:** Well…

**SHUJI:** If we were classmates, if we were friends...then why? Why ask us to do these things? Why pose as a victim? Why do any of this?

**ISEI:** I don’t have answers for you.

**SHUJI:** Someone does. Someone is doing this to us. Sitting somewhere in this fucking house, watching us...I...I don’t know what to think.

_ Before Isei can say anything one way or another, Yui comes up behind me and gasps. _

**YUI:** What is this?

_ I relinquish the note, and she holds it in shaking hands. She looks furious. Or maybe terrified. It’s funny how often those two emotions coincide on a face. It’s less funny when those same feelings are swirling around inside me right now. _

**ISEI:** We’re not sure. 

**SHUJI:** I think it was bait. I think it got us all to this house, somehow. 

**ISEI** : It was someone in our class, right? It had to be.

**YUI:** Why would this be  _ here _ ?! Wh-what is going on! 

**SHUJI:** What?

**YUI:** I don’t understand! 

**ISEI:** What is it that you don’t understand?

**YUI:** How 17 of the most talented, most famous, most notable young adults in the entire country--including several expats--could be swooped up, kidnapped, held in this horror house and forced to kill each other...and yet the person behind this is so unbearably sloppy?

**SHUJI:** I...sloppy?

**YUI:** The books in the library? They make no sense. This room is baffling to me. This note? This note just  _ buried _ under  _ nonsense? _ How can our--our  _ Host _ be intelligent and resourceful enough to hold us here and manipulate us into heartache and madness, yet be foolish enough to have this!

_ She waves the piece of paper around. _

**YUI:** It makes no sense! Are they smart or stupid? Are they organized and methodical or are they busy shoving clarinets into closets?

**ISEI:** You make it sound like our Host may be more than one person.

**YUI:** Do I? I don’t even know what I’m sounding like. I’m so tired. Please, take this from me. 

_ She shoves the note back into my hand and storms off, leaving the musical storage closet and slamming the door. _

_ Isei, Fumi and I are left in her wake, wondering what to do. _

_ Fumi shakes her head and goes back to pondering the puzzle that is this room, and Isei and I exchange a significant look. We step outside of the room together so we can talk in at least the illusion of privacy. _

**SHUJI:** What do we do with this?

**ISEI:** Keep it.

**SHUJI:** Why, though? I don’t think we can learn anything from it. The helpful RSVP information has been ripped…

**ISEI:** Maybe, but we can show it to the others. It’s got to be a clue, right?

**SHUJI:** I guess so. This is hurting my head to think about it.

**ISEI:** Why don’t you hang onto it? You’ve got the shoulder bag, after all.

_ I nod and put it into my bag, slipping it between the pages of Alena’s book so it doesn’t get more crumpled than it already is. _

_ From there, we cross the hallway to enter a new room. _

//A long, wide room with wooden floors and blank walls. There are long wooden tables at regular intervals throughout the room--at least 10. There are locker-style cabinets against the back wall, and bins full of tools on top of and near them. In the back-left corner of the room is a small kiln.

_ Where the last room was a disorganized nightmare, this one seems to have everything in its place. The floors look recently swept, and the tables are bare and clean. It must be a workshop of some kind, right? _

_ Before I can take in too many details, I notice Roxxy waving a hammer around. That can’t be safe. _

**NORIKO:** I’m really more of a textiles type of person…

**ROXXY:** Listen. Are you listening to me? Look in my eyes. It’s a hammer. Unless you physically try to hit yourself with it, it won’t hurt you.

**NORIKO:** I have my faith, as well as gloves and other armor, to protect me. You’ve got diddly squat. I’m more worried about you than myself, here.

**ROXXY:** Aww, that’s sweet! But I know more about stagecraft than you do.

**NORIKO:** It’s not sweet, it’s my duty. And we’re both performers, so I feel I’m missing your point.

**ROXXY:** Like, building sets! All your sets are outside stuff. Right? I was like, under the impression you get brought in to say poetry on a horse or something but the set is there regardless. 

**NORIKO:** You’re correct…

**ROXXY:** And like, I design all my junk! Oh goodie, there’s a hack saw! 

_ That doesn’t sound good to me. _

[Noriko] / [ Roxxy] / [Cabinets] / [Baskets]

**[SELECT: Noriko]**

_ Isei and I step over to the knight, who seems to be watching this whole spectacle with a bemused expression. I open my mouth to greet her, since she’s not facing our direction, but she speaks before I can get a word out. _

**NORIKO:** Finally out of your room, I see.

_ She turns to face us, her arms crossed, and lifts one eyebrow. Ruh-roh. _

**SHUJI:** I’m sorry. I--ah--well…

**NORIKO:** Are you okay?

_ Her tone shift from harsh to caring is a real 180, and startles me perhaps more than it should have.  _

**SHUJI:** Sorry.

_ She steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder. I do my best not to flinch away. _

**NORIKO:** You don’t need to apologize. I don’t believe you did anything wrong. Even with...even about the Lani situation.

**SHUJI** : I did pretty much prompt all that, though. I think I should be sorry.

**NORIKO:** Did you ask him to kill Kata for you?

**SHUJI:** What? No! Of course not.

**NORIKO:** Lani made a decision of his own free will to take someone else’s life. He will be judged for that, but you do not have to be.

**SHUJI:** You don’t think I’m even a little bit responsible? He did it to protect me.

**NORIKO:** If you protected a child from being hit by a car, or from a burning building, and got hurt in the process, would you blame that child?

_ I can see what she’s doing here. I avert my eyes and grumble a bit. _

**ISEI:** I think he gets the point.

**NORIKO:** ...I hope so. It’s important to not blame yourself for the actions of others, even if those actions were done for you.

_ I clear my throat and take a step back, still looking away. I make a show of inspecting the room around me in the hopes that I can change the subject, but I see Noriko’s concerned expression anyway. _

_ Isei, at least, takes the hint. _

**ISEI:** Have you found anything interesting in here?

**NORIKO:** Mm. It seems to be some kind of workshop, but I’m not extremely familiar with this kind of crafting. I can whittle a little bit, and I have some experience with textile design, but nothing quite so grand.

**SHUJI:** You can whittle?

**NORIKO:** _[Smiles.]_ I was challenged once to a whittling competition by a guest. It was a fair match, naturally, and she won. I took it upon myself to learn her craft as a show of respect. 

**ISEI:** You ever make anything good?

**NORIKO:** I’ve made some delightful little horses. And a bear.

**SHUJI:** A bear?

**ISEI:** How does that tie into your whole knight thing?

**NORIKO:** _ [Embarrassed]  _ The bear is wearing a little suit of armor.

**SHUJI:** I love that so much.

**ISEI:** How are you holding up, by the way?

_ Isei and I exchange a glance. Isn’t that my kind of question? He shrugs, smiling slightly, and looks back at Noriko, face artfully blank. _

**SHUJI:** ...Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.

_ I narrow my eyes at the back of his head. Trying to steal my thing? Psh. Maybe I’ll start...uh...wearing a leather jacket? Making him breakfast? Comforting him when he’s upset? Hold on... _

_ I hurt myself in my confusion! _

_ I shake my head and look back at Noriko, who has been watching our silent back and forth with a raised eyebrow. _

**NORIKO** : I...I’ll cope. 

**SHUJI** : How?

**NORIKO** : _ [Frowning.]  _ What do you mean? ‘How’? How does anyone cope?

**SHUJI** : I’m asking because I don’t know how to cope this time. I don’t know how anyone can do this. I was wondering if you had tips.

**NORIKO** :  _ [Shakes her head. _ ] I don’t think I’m the one to ask. You see these?

_ She removes the gauntlet from her right hand, and holds her hand out to me. Along her knuckles are pale scars crisscrossing her skin. _

**NORIKO** : The last time...ah, the last time things were difficult for me, I reacted poorly. I looked at my own reflection and hated myself for not knowing how to react. For...reacting at all. I felt I should be strong. I lashed out and hit my own reflection.

**ISEI** : What prompted all that?

**NORIKO** : That’s…

**SHUJI** : It sounds personal.

**NORIKO** : Yes. I believe it is.

_ There’s a beat of awkward silence between us. Isei is clearly curious, but Noriko doesn’t seem comfortable with talking. _

**SHUJI** : I think we’re gonna keep looking around.

**NORIKO** : Let me know if you find anything important.

**ISEI** : Sure thing.

**[SELECT: Roxxy.]**

_ By the time we actually approach Roxxy, she’s climbing onto one of the work tables, hammer still in hand and a gleam in her eye that’s a little alarming. _

**ISEI** : What are you planning, girl?

**ROXXY** : Isei! Shuji! Are you guys, like, on a little play date?

**ISEI** : What?! 

**SHUJI** : Playdate? 

**ROXXY** : Well, like, obviously it’s super hard to go on a real date in here. There’s a serious shortage of candles and I’m afraid I’ve got like a total monopoly on the rose petal department so setting one up would be majorly difficult. So it’s like playing!

**ISEI** :  _ [Turning away; bright red.]  _ I’m not sure I follow your logic. Can we change the subject?

**SHUJI** : We’re just exploring the new areas, Roxxy.

**ROXXY** : Oh, totes! This room is like, super exciting. I’ve got plans coming out of my ears, practically! There’s so much I can  _ do _ now!

**SHUJI** : I didn’t know you were much of a woodworker.

**ROXXY** : There’s loads of stuff in here! Not just for wood, though wood is like extremely handy. You gotta be good at all this if you want to make it big in stage performances! Set design is underrated but absolutely essential.

**ISEI** : So why are you on top of a table?

**ROXXY** : Huh? Oh, I guess I am. Ummm I think I was trying to get a view of the ceiling to see if I could hang stuff from it, but then I got distracted. It happens!

**ISEI** : ...Does it?

**ROXXY** : Mm-hmm!

_ She takes a seat on the edge of the table, tossing the hammer up in the air and catching it with one hand while the other taps on the table. I narrow my eyes at her. She blinks back blithely. _

_ Roxxy’s usually a pretty active person, but today her twitchiness seems a bit more than usual. I think back to what Fumi said about Roxxy needing a little bit of help today. I wonder if these two things are related. _

_ I open my mouth to ask her about it, but she’s already talking before I can finish taking a breath. _

**ROXXY** : So I was thinking of like, maybe doing a performance? Or some kind of talent show. Cuz like, Yui-chan and I were talking and she said...well that’s private, but basically--

**SHUJI** : Roxxy.

**ROXXY** : --everyone can do stuff! Right? So like why not show it off! So if I can do the stage set up, which I’d totes love to, everyone else just prepares their own bad self and--

**ISEI** : Roxxy.

**ROXXY** : --we can have like a total shindig. I’m not trying to take the spotlight off of Kyo-chan’s wake idea, like, naturally, but--

**SHUJI** : Roxxy!

**ROXXY** : --I think it’d be fun, and like, to get our minds off of everything!

**ISEI** :  _ [Waving his hands in front of her.] _ ROXXY!

**ROXXY** : Hm? Yes? What’s up?

**SHUJI** : Are you okay?

**ROXXY** : Uhhh...yeah, obvi. Haha, why?

**ISEI** : Girl, you’re acting pretty weird.

**ROXXY** : Hm? What? Weird how? I’m fine.

**SHUJI** : Don’t you want to talk about--

**ROXXY** : I don’t want to talk about anything. I’m fine.

**SHUJI** : Roxxy, I’m worried--

**ROXXY** : Don’t you wanna hear about my stage show? I’m still bouncing ideas around so like, I think it would be good to get more ears on the problem, you know? Cuz Kyo-chan has Yui-chan and like, Fumi-chan is amazing in every way but she’s no designer, not like this anyway.

_ Isei crosses his arms and looks sternly at her. She smiles back, apparently unbothered, but now her leg is bouncing faster than the speed of sound.  _

**ISEI:** You need to talk about this. You need to think about it.

_ Roxxy’s spare hand rises to toy with her hair, her expression unchanged. _

**ROXXY** : Think about what? Haha…

**ISEI** : Two people died yesterday. We voted for Lani to face his death. You’re fine?

**ROXXY** : Haha, yeah, uh, totes.

_ I step toward her, and put a hand on her shoulder. She nearly flinches away from me, but doesn’t. Her red eyes meet mine steadily, her expression now totally neutral. _

**SHUJI** : It’s okay. You can trust me. I trust you.

**ROXXY:** We n-never did get our spa day, did we?

**SHUJI** : We can do that later today, if you want to.

**ROXXY** : Yeah. I’d like that.

**SHUJI** : I’ll let you paint my nails.

**ROXXY** :  _ [Visibly brightening.]  _ Really?!

**SHUJI** : If you talk to me.

**ROXXY** :  _ [Stiff.] _ I don’t know what to talk about. 

**SHUJI** : You were friends with Lani.

**ROXXY** : Wanna know the fucked up thing? I was almost friends with Kata, too. Like...maybe I was, before.

**ISEI** : Before?

**ROXXY** : Before all of this, you know? Back in school. Any time we talked it was like...I don’t know. Like I knew him. Like he wanted to trust me, but couldn’t. I keep thinking…

_ She trails off, chewing on her lip.  _

**SHUJI** : What do you keep thinking?

**ROXXY** : Oh, nothing I guess. Just...like...If I could’ve gotten past that barrier he was putting up. If I could’ve talked to him, and been friends with him. If he hadn’t been such a colossal dick to you all the time, Shu-shu. Maybe…

_ She shrugs. _

**ISEI** : ...You think maybe he wouldn’t have gotten killed?

**ROXXY** : If he’d had friends, besides like Aika-chan...maybe he wouldn’t have practically baited Lani like that. That’s all. Do you guys remember anything?

**SHUJI** : Remember? Huh?

**ISEI** : Are you trying to change the subject?

**ROXXY** : Maybe a little. Do you two remember anything, from like high school? I keep trying, and sometimes I get like...hints? It feels like hints. But…

**SHUJI** : I remember sitting next to a window. I remember...I think I remembered something about Lani, last night.

**ISEI** : Sometimes I think I can remember the teacher’s face. He was kind...I think.

**ROXXY** : _ [Nods.] _ Yeah, it’s like that. It felt like that with Kata, too. I thought I remembered him talking to me. He was laughing is the incredible thing. I think I was...doing something. Cartwheels? I don’t know, it sounds like me. And he was enjoying himself as I just clowned around.

_ She looks up, leaning back on her hands as she sits on the table, with a small smile.  _

**SHUJI** : Are you okay?

**ROXXY** : If I tilt my head up, the tears won’t ruin my makeup. I’m okay.

**ISEI** : I don’t know if any of my advice will help, but...it’s good to talk about it. If you just ignore it, it’ll build up until something bad happens.

**ROXXY** : Yeah. I’ll try.

_ She sniffles for a moment, then sits up again, looking at me with a wicked smile. _

**ROXXY** : But I also get to do your nails now! That’s the law. No takebacks. 

**SHUJI** : Okay, fair.

**ISEI** : We should keep looking around.

**SHUJI** : Yeah. Roxxy...you should talk to Fumi, alright? I think she wants to help.

_ Roxxy nods and gets off the table, leaving the hammer where she found it, and leaves the room. _

**[SELECT: Cabinets.]**

_ I walk through the room, past the tables, to the long locker-style cabinets taking up the back wall. They’re made of thin grey metal, and when I open one it seems to be full of...basically what I’d expect. _

_ Tools. _

_ The first locker is filled with what I’d guess are woodworking supplies, which means lots of knives for carving and shaping. They’re organized in neat little racks, where everything is in its place. This is all pretty small scale stuff, and while the knives are troubling, they’re not more concerning than the knives in the kitchen. At the bottom lies several planks of wood. _

_ The next one has some more heavy duty materials. There’s a long saw, mallets, things like that. The danger level in this room went from about a 4 out of 10 to a solid 6. _

_ One of them is entirely full of varying sizes of dowel rods. _

_ As I go, I uncover materials for metalworking, woodworking, and general fixes. _

**ISEI** : Oh, this is nice!

**SHUJI** : You...craft?

**ISEI** : Oh, um. Not really. But these are nice!

_ He shows me the inside of the door to one of the cabinets, which comes equipped with a piece of paper clipped into it. _

_ I take a closer look, and note that each tool and material that belongs in this cabinet is listed on the piece of paper. _

**SHUJI** : Is this in all of them?

**ISEI** : Seems like it.

**SHUJI** : Awesome! That means if anything goes missing, there’s a really easy way to check!

_ Isei nods. _

_ I think that’s about all I can learn about the cabinets for now. _

**[SELECT: Baskets.]**

_ Lying atop the cabinets and squashed into every corner of the room are large, shallow baskets full of more tools. This seems to be where Roxxy got her hammer; loads of loose implements are just piled in there. There’s little rhyme or reason to the grouping of the items in the baskets, and they seem to have been bundled in here as an afterthought. _

**SHUJI** : Let’s not show Yui this room if we can avoid it. She might have an aneurism.

**ISEI** : [Chuckles.] I’m sure she already knows.

**SHUJI** : Yeah…

_ I spend some time looking through the baskets to see if there’s anything particularly useful or worth noting. I spot a nail gun, some heavy duty tape, wood glues, leather glues, school glue, and spray paint among other things. It’s no wonder Roxxy was talking about putting together a set from all of this; there’s enough to build a house in the baskets alone. _

_ But because there’s so much here, it’s a little difficult to piece together if any of it will be helpful in here. I guess I can come back later.  _

_ There’s still a lot of exploring to do, after all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's still one more update's worth of exploration! Because of the long weighty conversations I felt like I should split 'em up to be more digestible. I hope that's okay with everyone! 
> 
> The end of the exploration chapters will come on the 12th, next Monday. 
> 
> If you want to give me a birthday present, feel free to just...interact with this story at all! Join the discord server, comment what you're thinking (even if you're thinking something rude, I really don't mind feedback of any variety!), recommend it to a friend, anything like that! 
> 
> I love and appreciate all of the people reading this fangan! If it weren't for you, this wouldn't have gotten as far as it has. This project has been a delight to work on and I'm so happy to be writing it. Thank you, everyone!


	26. Chapter Three: Panic (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the new areas!

_ We leave the workshop and head to the end of the hall, where there are wide, opulent double doors. They take up the entire wall, and look more like the entrance to a ballroom than a room inside of a house. _

_ But then again, we’re in a murder mansion. _

_ Nothing here is normal or good. _

_ Fucking incredible. _

_ We push past the doors to see the nicest movie theatre I’ve ever seen in my life. _

//A large, plush theatre with a gigantic screen against the left wall and a stage out in front of it. There are 20 plush chairs, each very reclinable and with small tables in front of them for in-house dining. There are maroon drapes pulled to each side of the screen, again, very plush, and a popcorn machine against the far wall. Katherine and Miki are together, with Miki standing on the stage while Katherine looks on from below.

_ I feel like just entering this room charged my bank account about 3k yen. I’m afraid to touch anything. Fortunately I’m distracted from my Poverty Panic by Miki’s voice, projecting throughout the room. _

**MIKI** : Ah-ha! Young lady, would you care for a demonstration?

**KATHERINE** : [Hiding a smile.] Of what...exactly?

**MIKI** : Ah, a discerning customer to be sure. Only an intelligent woman would ensure she knows what she’s getting involved with. I’ve always respected a woman who thinks carefully before jumping into an unknown!

_ Miki is bobbing a yoyo playfully up and down as they speak, leaning back on one heel like the jauntiest motherfucker on the planet. They don’t look...normal. As in, they’re not grouching, they’re not yelling. _

_ I guess they’re just performing. _

**KATHERINE** : Are you going to show me a yoyo trick?

**MIKI** : Not just show! You know, I do offer private lessons! Or public ones, if the group would like to observe your growing skills in real time.

_ Miki gestures toward the imaginary crowd, apparently not seeing us. _

_ Katherine is smiling, looking up at Miki with an expression of absolute unshakable fondness. _

**KATHERINE** : I think I...I want…

**MIKI** : [Leaning forward, eager.] Yeeeess?

**KATHERINE** : I want to watch you.

**MIKI** : [Winking.] I’ll oblige! Anything for a beautiful girl, you know.

_ Katherine giggles, hiding her face with her hand. _

_ Miki starts in on a yoyoing performance very casually. Their stance is loose and relaxed, the yoyo seeming to move almost of its own volition. They cheekily smile at Katherine, making grand gestures with the yoyo and pulling it back into more subtle tricks. It’s honestly breathtaking. _

_ It’s like an extension of their body, the level of finite control they have over it. It seems to defy physics. How does it not tangle? Can they possibly be paying attention to all that with such a relaxed expression? _

_ I can see why they’re a Hope’s Peak student, watching them move with the yoyo. _

_ Isei lets out a low whistle, startling Katherine from her reverie, but Miki just gives us a glance and a grin before continuing on. Either way, the spell is broken. They know we’re here, so we can approach further. _

[Katherine] / [Miki] / [Stage and Seating] / [Popcorn Stand]

**[SELECT: Katherine.]**

_ We head toward Katherine, who doesn’t take their eyes off of Miki. There are tears blatantly coursing down her face, smearing up her makeup. _

**SHUJI** : Heyyyohmygod are you alright?

_ I won’t pretend I’m not alarmed. _

_ She doesn’t even look at me. _

**KATHERINE** : Leave me alone.

**ISEI** : What’s going on?

_ When Isei speaks, her eyes flick in our direction, but are soon locked back on Miki. _

**KATHERINE** : Isn’t it...it’s...[Sighs.]

_ She trails off, and gently brushes her own tears off of her chin before they can drip onto her clothing. For a simple touch, it’s remarkably tender. Maybe it’s the way she can’t take her eyes off of Miki. Maybe it’s just the rare display of vulnerability. _

_ Isei takes a breath to ask more questions, but I put my hand on his arm, stalling him. _

_ I want Katherine to have the space to gather her thoughts. _

**KATHERINE** : They’re beautiful.

**ISEI** : Miki?

**KATHERINE** : [Nods.] Even when they’re just playing around...I…[Shakes her head.] Don’t listen to me. This is nonsense.

**SHUJI** : I don’t think so.

_ She turns to look at me. Despite the tears still running down her face, her expression is still to the point of being uncanny. Her arms are tightly crossed over her chest, and only upon close consideration do I notice the tiniest crinkle in her brow. _

**KATHERINE** : Why wouldn’t it be nonsense? I can barely keep a fucking sentence together.

_ Okay. Not the reaction I expected. _

_ I guess we’re all dealing with some stuff. _

**SHUJI** : You really like them, right? Why would it be nonsense for you to like watching them do something they’re really good at?

**KATHERINE** : …tch. You don’t know anything.

**ISEI** : Hey--

**SHUJI** : So teach me.

**ISEI** : What?

**KATHERINE** : What?

**SHUJI** : What don’t I know? Can you tell me?

**KATHERINE** : Do you really want to know? The harsh reality of…hah…This. Me. Whatever.

**SHUJI** : Yes.

**ISEI** : What are you playing at?

**SHUJI** : We’ve been in here for two weeks, and I don’t know anything about her. I want to see her perspective and maybe...I don’t know. Treat each other like humans.

**ISEI** : Okay...I get it. Shoot.

**KATHERINE** : ...What do you think is the point of life?

**SHUJI** : Oh damn. Is this part of the lesson?

**KATHERINE** : Yes.

**ISEI** : Starting strong, I guess.

**SHUJI:** Um. The point of life. Okay. I think the point is to learn more? To always be growing, maybe. Life is all about adapting to change.

**KATHERINE:** [Raising an eyebrow.] Really?

**SHUJI:** Geez, I mean, you really put me on the spot here. What do you think it is?

**KATHERINE:** Love. Warmth in the face of coldness around you.

**ISEI** : I can get behind that.

**KATHERINE:** The trick is, people don’t always want to be loved. You can give someone all the...all the love in the world. But if they don’t want that love, you’ll stay cold.

_ She’s still crying, and her breathing is getting a little more labored despite her face remaining unchanged but for a tremble in her lip. _

**SHUJI:** What about love for the sake of it?

**KATHERINE:** A waste of energy. That’s like  _ acting _ for the sake of it. If you’re not getting roles, it doesn’t matter how much you enjoy it. It’s a waste.

**ISEI:** Hm.

**SHUJI:** Well you don’t need to worry about that! You graduated from Hope’s Peak Academy! You’re going to have roles coming out of your ears as soon as we get out of here.

**KATHERINE:** [Trembling.] You’re wrong. I don’t have anything. Except...maybe...them…

**ISEI:** Miki?

**KATHERINE:** They give themself so wholly. They don’t ask for...anything. In all this, they just want to make me...happy? What is happiness? What is…

_ Katherine collapses into one of the cushy seats behind her, burying her head in her hands. _

_ Um. _

_ Well. _

_ Huh. _

**MIKI:** Hey! Stop making my girlfriend cry!

**KATHERINE:** [Muffled; watery] Girlfriend…

_ I think we should retreat while we still can. _

**[SELECT: Miki.]**

_ When we turn toward the stage and screen, Miki seems to notice our attention and sighs deeply. The yoyo does not stop bobbing. _

_ I know I keep thinking it, but  _ damn.  _ That is so impressive. _

**MIKI:** What’s up, nerds?

**ISEI** : Nerd stuff. What about you?

**MIKI:** The same.

**SHUJI:** I guess we’re all nerds in here, huh?

**MIKI:** Yeah. Except Kathy. She’s a jock.

_ I glance over my shoulder at Katherine, who is still crying. _

**SHUJI:** Sure.

**ISEI:** Where’d you get the yoyo?

**MIKI:** Huh? It was in my pocket when I got kidnapped. I’ve always had it. Just didn’t have the space to really show it off. You like it?

**SHUJI:** Your performance is amazing! I keep thinki--

**MIKI:** Not the performance. That’s obviously awesome. The yoyo!

**ISEI:** Is it different from normal yoyos?

**MIKI:** Of course a layperson wouldn’t know, but that’s alright. I’m here to educate you. This is a Stylish brand yoyo! I invented it!

**SHUJI:** Oh, I think I read about that!

**MIKI:** It glides like a dream…

_ They sigh with satisfaction and pull up the yoyo before stashing it in their jacket pocket and moving forward to sit on the edge of the stage. _

**MIKI:** Are you two okay?

**SHUJI:** Shouldn’t I be asking you that?

**MIKI:** I could tell you wanted to. Shuji...I know you got really fucked up in that trial. I know your urge, or whatever, is to be a good dad or parent to everyone here because your parents suck major donkey dick. 

**ISEI:** Is that true?

**MIKI:** Soga-san, please hush. I’m having a conversation.

**ISEI:** Oh. Damn. Uh, sorry.

**MIKI:** Thanks, apology accepted.

_ They turn back to me, lowering their sunglasses so I can see their eyes. _

**MIKI:** That philanthropic bullshit is what got you here.

**SHUJI:** Huh?

**MIKI:** You wanted to be such a good friend to Lani that he took a bullet for you. Or shot a bullet for you. Both, I guess, in this case. You keep taking on more responsibility as far as keeping everyone in here sane, and that’s causing a problem.

_ This isn’t the direction I expected this conversation to go in at all. I don’t know what to say. _

**MIKI:** People need to be able to depend on themselves. If we can’t stop leaning on each other--on you, in particular--we’ll collapse if anything else happens. Look at me.

**SHUJI:** I am looking at you.

**MIKI:** I mean, take me for an example. I’m okay. I’m hurting, but I’m okay. 

**SHUJI:** Aren’t you okay because you have a girlfriend?

**MIKI** : Which I got myself! We entered into a contract to depend on each other and give to each other, without taking. If we keep taking from you, Shuji, then you’re gonna get eaten up and the rest of us will be defenseless if something happens to you.

**ISEI:** You can’t be telling him you caused any of this. That’s just--that’s morally irresponsible!

**MIKI:** You’re interrupting again. But I see your point. Butt out now before I hit you with my yoyo.

**ISEI:** Yikes.

**SHUJI:** You depended on me too! Remember that conversation we had about your family?

**MIKI:** Yeah, it sucked! But it wasn’t me depending on you. 

**SHUJI:** No, you’re right. It was an honest conversation between friends. Like, you know, normal humans have. Not everything is this huge power dynamic thing! It’s okay to lean on people if you need it!

**MIKI:** I don’t think you’re listening. But I warned you, okay? 

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I guess. Whatever.

_ We take a few steps away from them, and they go back to their yoyoing. I feel my fists balled up at my sides, but I can’t do anything to be less tense right now. _

_ What did they mean by all that? _

_ Sure, people need to be independent and rely on themselves...but in a place like this, all we have is each other, right? Or is that mentality going to get more people killed? But isn’t that theory entirely predicated on the theory that other people are  _ going _ to die? Is that realistic or pessimistic? _

**ISEI:** Wow, they really got your brain’s gears turning, huh.

_ I had half forgotten Isei was even there. He’s watching me with those cold grey eyes of his, a concerned expression on his face. _

**SHUJI:** Was I that obvious?

**ISEI:** You were about 20 seconds from probably biting off your own tongue by the looks of things. 

**SHUJI:** ...Yeah. I don’t know what to think.

**ISEI:** That’s okay.

**SHUJI:** What do  _ you _ think?

**ISEI:** Me? Hmm. I want to be mad at them, because I’m sick of people trying to place the blame on any violence that happens in here on you. But in a way they’re right. Not about you being responsible, per se, but about people needing to support themselves.

**SHUJI:** Oh. 

_ I muse on that for a bit, subconsciously gnawing on the inside of my cheek. _

**ISEI:** A lot of people depend on you, I think. You’re doing your best to be here for everybody, and lots of people consider you their friend. Maybe lighten up with the being the most reliable guy in the room schtick, right?

**SHUJI:** Hm.

_ Am I causing a problem by trying to be there for people? Am I going to be a problem by wanting to lean on others? If I can’t sustain myself in a place like this, then I definitely can’t sustain myself in the real world.  _

_ I’m going to give myself a mouth sore at this rate. _

**ISEI:** ...Let’s keep exploring, okay?

**SHUJI:** Yeah.

**[SELECT: Stage and Seating]**

_ Directly in front of the huge screen, taking up most of the wall, is a decently sized stage. It might be a little smaller than something Roxxy is used to, for example, but is ample enough for a house.  _

_ Sometimes I have to remind myself that we are, in fact, in what seems to just be a house. A Mansion, sure, but a house. With a theatre. And a stage. And that bath house. _

_ I shake my head. I have to keep going. _

_ The curtains are pulled back to either side of the screen, but when I look up I see that there’s a track so that they could come out and down in front of the stage as well. It seems fully equipped to be a proper theatre, for plays or movies or whatever else goes in theatres. _

_ I turn around and face the seating. There are 4 rows containing 5 seats each, each seat equipped with a small personal table. Each seat seems to recline to a lying down position, I determine after pushing some buttons and startling myself, and there’s enough space between each seat that you don’t need to be cozy with whoever might sit next to you. _

**ISEI:** Do you think the fact that there’s 20 seats means anything?

**SHUJI:** There were only ever 17 of us to start with.

**ISEI:** Yeah.

**SHUJI:** Do Hope’s Peak Academy’s class sizes even go that big?

**ISEI:** I don’t think they do. Actually, I was thinking about that earlier. Since we found that invitation.

**SHUJI:** What about it?

**ISEI:** I can’t remember a class of HPA students that went over 16. I’ve done biographies on some of the criminally oriented alumni, too, so it’s not like I’m pulling that number out of my ass.

**SHUJI:** So...one of us isn’t from the same class?

**ISEI:** Weird, right?

**SHUJI:** That can’t be right. I remember all of you. Your faces, at least, even if I forgot our relationships to each other and our time spent together.

**ISEI:** Yeah. I recognize everyone too. I don’t know what it means. I’ll drop it for now.

**[SELECT: Popcorn Stand.]**

_ Along the side wall there stands a surprisingly large popcorn stand. It has two small metal tables next to it, with a large cask of popcorn kernels and a bottle of coconut oil sequestered beneath one, while the other hid a large container of little paper bags for the popcorn to fill. _

**SHUJI:** Huh. Handy.

**ISEI:** I guess making popcorn in the kitchen and lugging it up three stories isn’t included among our travails here.

_ I put my hands on the machine, trying to inspect it for traps or poison. So far our Host has been pretty forgiving with food-based potential weapons, but since the second floor mostly has rooms full of poison, I figure I should check anyway. _

_ Nothing. _

_ The only poison here would be the coconut oil, since Kata was allergic to tree nuts, but… _

**SHUJI:** Let’s move on.

_ Moving toward the back of the theatre, I spot a small door. Beckoning Isei onward, we continue through it. It leads us to a short flight of stairs, and opens out into what I can only assume is the projector room for the theatre. _

//A crowded, dark room. Most notable features are an old fashioned film projector next to a table that contains a laptop, which is connected to a modern projector hooked up to the ceiling. There are long racks of old school film, and a few switches to operate the lighting on the table. Aika and 「 Pure Virtual 」are here.

**PV:** You’re doing it wrong.

**AIKA:** Has anyone ever told you that your insistence on you own genius is a real boner kill?

**PV:** Are you afraid to wear colors because it would out you as having entirely transparently pale skin?

**AIKA:** Do you wear such bright clothes to distract from your absolute lack of personality?

**PV:** You’re deflecting, as usual. I’m guessing you don’t have friends to turn to if I genuinely upset you, do you?

**AIKA:** Oh, and you’re suffering from an overabundance of people to hang out with?

**PV:** At least the one person who was willing to talk to me didn’t get killed for being such an insufferable prat that even gentle Lani had to take matters into his own hands.

**AIKA:** Oh? I was assuming the only person you could get to look at your ugly face was Masanori, so I thought we were in the same boat here.

**PV:** At least I’m not afraid of people  _ seeing _ my face you glasses-clad weirdo.

**AIKA:** Can anyone see your face? Honestly? Behind that ugly fucking makeup? I think you’re hiding from something. Intimacy, perhaps? Or maybe you just know how absolutely dull you are so you try to hide it…

**PV:** Nobody likes you, so you can stop posturing all the time.

**AIKA:** Name one person that likes you, you fucking incel.

**PV:** Oh hey Shuji! What are you up to?

**SHUJI:** I’m up to not getting involved in this.

**AIKA:** Pussy.

**PV:** Fair enough.

[Aika] / [PV] / [Film] / [Laptop and Controls]

**[SELECT: Aika.]**

_ The space is fairly small, but we approach Aika where she’s sitting in front of the laptop. I would say she’s glowering, or maybe pouting, but with those thick sunglasses I can only really guess at her expression. Either way, her mouth is tugged into a small frown that could mean almost anything. _

**SHUJI:** Having fun?

**AIKA:** Oh, go suck your own cock. 

**ISEI:** Alright, I see your greetings have gotten upgraded.

**AIKA:** You too. Fuck off.

**SHUJI:** What are you doing?

**AIKA:** Can you not  _ listen _ for once in your life? I told you to leave me alone.

**SHUJI:** Not to be too technical here, but you told me to fuck off and uh…

**ISEI:** Self-fellate?

**SHUJI:** Yeah. Are you really that upset over all this?

_ Aika turns in her chair to face us. She’s slouched against the back, her hands clawing into the arm rests. It’s the most interesting juxtaposition between a relaxed posture and a clearly very tense person. _

**AIKA:** And why should I not be?

**SHUJI:** Um.

**ISEI:** I don’t mean to be the asshole here but...typically speaking, you’re a heartless bitch.

**AIKA:** Are you still mad about me accusing you of murder? God, get over it.

**ISEI:** It was last night.

**AIKA:** I think it’s really telling that you, of all people, believe that I shouldn’t be capable of feeling emotions considering the outright traumatic situation we’re caught in. Doesn’t that oppose your thesis that most crimes are socially motivated, and could be prevented with reform on the public sector?

**ISEI:** You--you’ve read my books?

**AIKA:** Yet when interacting with your peers, if they’ve done something you deem amoral or wrong, they’re heartless. There’s no redemption in your mind for someone who is similar to you. What have you done? What have you done that you hate so much it suspends your apparent never ending empathy?

**ISEI:** I--What? I--

**AIKA:** Who  _ are _ you, Isei Soga?

**SHUJI:** I don’t mean to butt in but I’m not sure I agree with your, uh, assessment? You’ve been actively trying to make yourself as unpleasant as possible since we woke up here two weeks ago. 

_ Aika slams her hands down on the armrests, sitting up now to stare up at us viciously.  _

**AIKA:** And you think it’s wise to be vulnerable here? You think I am incapable of it because I shield myself? How has being vulnerable  _ benefitted _ you, Shuji?

**ISEI** : Hey!

**AIKA:** You have no right to speak to me. You don’t even know who you are! You’re so full of doubt and you just take it out on everyone else, pretending to be  _ so _ knowledgeable but don’t you think who you study is incredibly telling? Criminals. You’ve done some fucked up shit. I can smell it. 

**SHUJI:** Aika! Stop!

**AIKA:** Let me guess. Now you’re going to beg for me to just let all my personal problems out on the table. You want me to say mommy didn’t love me, or the fact that I’m adopted gives me nightmares, or that I just feel so inadequate? None of those things are true. I am not a puzzle for you to solve with some puppy dog eyes and a basic understanding of empathy.

**SHUJI:** I am sick of you! Stop being mean to people! I don’t need to know why you’re like this. I don’t know if I even care! 

**AIKA:** Good. Caring makes you weak. You could afford to grow a fucking spine. Now, as I’ve said, leave me the fuck alone.

_ She doesn’t have to tell me again. Jesus Christ. _

**[SELECT: PV]**

_ 「  Pure Virtual 」is digging among the old film reels, apparently having been denied access from the computer by Aika. Isei and I squeeze between the racks to talk to them. _

**PV** : Are you two alright?

_ The question of the hour, naturally. I start to respond, but I honestly don’t know what to say anymore. What is ‘alright’? Was I ever alright? Does it do any good to even wonder? So instead of answering, I shrug. _

_ They look at me with their large brown eyes. Or maybe they look through me. Sometimes it’s hard to tell, even with a direct gaze like this. They blink slowly. Not knowing what to do under this kind of study, I blink back. _

**ISEI** : I don’t think anyone could really be alright. Did you...were you close to Lani?

_ Their attention floats back to Isei. Thank god. _

**PV** : Lani did his best to be friends with everyone. Do you remember the last wake?

**SHUJI** : Mmhm.

**PV** : I watched him go between every little cluster of people. He’d talk and listen and bounce around, fetching people drinks. He reminded me of...ah, well, I shouldn’t ramble.

**ISEI** : Now’s the time for it. As long as we’re talking about it, you know.

**PV** : As you say. I had a friend. Have a friend. We’re still friends, despite all this. He grew up very poor, but entered into my family through his connection with me. My grandfather taught him how to host, and he became very good at it. But Lani reminded me of him, when he was younger.

_ They rest their chin on their knuckles, musing quietly. _

**SHUJI** : Do you know where your friend is now?

**PV** : No. I believe he was also accepted into Hope’s Peak Academy, but a year under us. But he isn’t here, and that’s all I need to know. He’s lovely, you know, like a cockroach. He’d survive anything.

**SHUJI** : You sound as if you don’t think you’ll survive in here.

**PV** : Oh, I think I will. 

**ISEI** : How do you know?

**PV** : Because I’m sure of myself. I know who I am and what I’m doing. And--I don’t mean to diminish you two, because I respect you both--I’m literally a genius. I’m sure I can handle myself.

**SHUJI** : Damn, I guess I’m a goner then.

**PV** : I’ll protect you.

**ISEI** : C’mon, have some genre awareness. That’s clearly a death flag.

**PV** : [Irritated.] Honestly, if we just had some decent leadership, then maybe this conversation wouldn’t even be happening.

**ISEI** : How would leadership have prevented--

**PV** : We have encouraged a culture of distrust. If we’d believed Shuji about the note, and made things clear that nothing would happen, Lani wouldn’t have gone to the bath house. For that matter, if someone had tried to talk to Kata, we could have figured out what his problem was. Without any faith in each other we’ll just keep killing.

**SHUJI** : A lot of people don’t think an outright declared leader would help anything. Fumi-chan, Noriko-chan, and--

**PV** : Bah! Noriko-san only knows structure and punishment. She can’t even commit to those things, clearly. It’s no wonder things fell apart under her.

**SHUJI** : The point was that we weren’t under her. We decided not to elect anybody as a leader.

**ISEI** : Well, clearly not everybody was there for that discussion.

**SHUJI** : You think we should have a designated leader?

**ISEI** : I don’t know. Sometimes leadership helps. Sometimes it compounds problems. It can go either way.

**PV** : It won’t. I--you know me, right?

**SHUJI** : I could afford to know you a little better.

**ISEI** : I don’t know you at all.

**PV** : Ugh, I mean...my name. Dumortier. My mother is the mayor of Paris. I understand leadership; I’ve been groomed toward it my entire life. I just think I could be an asset.

**SHUJI** : Hmm...Well, I believe in you, but…

**ISEI** : I think this is a conversation that should involve everyone. We can talk about it later, okay?

**PV** : A valid point. I’ll do my best to earn your--and everyone’s--trust.

_ They turn back to the racks of film, now ignoring us in favor of the dusty reels. I guess we should keep moving. _

**[SELECT: Film.]**

_ The racks of film take up the majority of the projector room. There are five racks, extending into the dark depths of the room, each with over a hundred film reels on it. I pick one up at random, foraying into the narrow hallways created by the tall racks, and squint at it in the dim light to determine what it is. _

Gunsmock, Season 4-7

_ Is that a typo? I turn over the heavy container to see if there’s any more clues. _

_ Okay, that’s definitely a picture of a gun wearing a smock. _

_ And this went for at least 7 seasons? _

_ Wow. _

**ISEI** : There’s no way any of these are gonna get used, right?

_ Isei’s voice stirs me from my Gunsmock reverie. _

**SHUJI** : Huh?

**ISEI** : Well, there’s a laptop. And none of us even know how to use the projector for these, I’d bet.

**SHUJI** : Maybe they’re from the Host’s personal collection, like the books in the library.

**ISEI** : Hmm. More likely this is intended as a weapon.

**SHUJI** : What, they’re gonna bore us to death with old movies and shows?

**ISEI** : It’s super flammable, Shuji. 

_ I nearly drop Gunsmock in my haste to put it back on the rack. _

**SHUJI** : Obviously I knew that, duh. Ahem.

_ Isei grins at me, looking more amused than admonishing. _

**ISEI** : Sure, champ.

_ Okay, so even something as innocent as Gunsmock has been turned against me. Diabolical. We’d better check out the rest of the room before we catch on fire. _

**[SELECT: Laptop.]**

_ Braving Aika’s presence for long enough to inspect the front of the room, we turn to the laptop. She ignores us and we ignore her. It’s a symbiotic relationship. _

_ Scooting the laptop away from her, I open it up to see what’s on it. _

_ As I’d expected, no internet connection. But this time, no otome games either. Just files upon files of movies. I try scrolling through all of them, but there’s more than I think my mere human mind can contemplate. _

_ Isei lets out a low whistle as I continue to scroll. _

**SHUJI** : Well, at least we don’t have to be bored.

**ISEI** : Do you think they’ve got Doraemon on there?

**SHUJI** : You watch Doraemon?

**ISEI** : [Embarrassed.] As a kid, you know. It’s a comfort thing.

**SHUJI** : Cute.

**ISEI** : No! Not cute!

**SHUJI** : Okay, tough guy. Whatever you say.

**ISEI** : Yeah. It’s not cute.

**SHUJI** : (It’s cute.)

**ISEI** : Did you say something?

**SHUJI** : [Smiling.] Nope!

_ There’s not much else I can get out of the laptop, so I slide it back to Aika.  _

_ We’re done exploring all the new areas, so Isei and I part ways. I go back to my room, getting a bit of space while I think about what to do next. _

_ Musing, I pull out the class dossiers and look them over again. Updating them slightly as I go for things I’ve learned about them, but mostly trying to figure out who I could spend time with right now. _

_ … _

_ Miki’s voice comes back to me. _

“You keep taking on more responsibility as far as keeping everyone in here sane, and that’s causing a problem.”

_ What am I doing? _

_ I stare at my own hands, where they sit atop the documents that make up the dossiers. _

_ I’m trying to find someone to help keep sane, aren’t I? I’m causing a problem. I’m trying to be everybody’s backbone, so nobody will  be able to stand on their own. _

_ I bury my head in my hands. _

_ I guess I’ve got a long way to go. _

_ Curling up in bed, despite it only being maybe 4 PM, I open up Alena’s book. Now that I have the party invitation as a bookmark, this should be a breeze. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, next update is scheduled for the 26th! We'll finally be getting into the MEAT of the chapter then! Thanks for your patience, and I hope you liked this update! If not (or even if you did) feel free to leave a comment yelling at me! I don't mind!


	27. Chapter Three: Panic (4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji makes a serious attempt to self-isolate in response to all of the feelings he's having. We'll just see how well that goes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all are ready for a chapter that's finally a little happier! That said, TW for very, very mild suicidal ideation. I promise it does get better, though!

**THE FEY:** It’s 7 AM, and time to wake up! Wake up. Wake up!!!! Where are you?! Wake up?!

_ I lurch into a sitting up position after that announcement. _

_ Okay, that was super duper weird. _

_ Before I can get too deep into why that was so viscerally upsetting to hear first thing in the morning, everything that happened yesterday and the day before floods back. It’s all I can do not to immediately collapse back into bed.  _

_ Instead, I take a shower. _

_ After drying off, picking out new clothes, and feeling a little better if just for the ritual of getting ready, I stand in my room, staring at the door. _

_ What faces me today? _

_ Am I meant to make breakfast for the group? No. That’s just encouraging them to never learn how to make their own food. _

_ Should I go around and check on people? Ugh! No! What’s wrong with me? _

_ I find myself sitting back on my bed before too long. Any interaction I have is going to be harmful. Anything I do is going to cause problems. _

_ A thought I haven’t had in a while drifts across my mind, and I’m too emotionally exhausted to chase it down and root it out of my psyche. _

I wish I didn’t exist at all.

_ I sigh.  _

_ Logically, I know I can’t lock myself in my room forever. However, using those same highly evolved logic skills, I tell myself I can at least put off facing the world until lunch time. After all, I rationalize, I’ve got important stuff to do. _

_ I start with making my bed. Then, I clean the entire bathroom area of my suite. Once that’s done, I organize my closet. I really need to do laundry; all I’ve got left is some already once used sweaters and jeans. I take the dirty clothes and put them in a tidy pile out of the way of everything else. I tidy my desk, organizing the dossiers into a nice little stack. _

_ All of this takes about an hour altogether. _

_ Okay, it’s 8 AM.  _

_ Well, I’d better do laundry. _

_ I take my pile of clothing to the laundry room, keeping my head down in case anybody should deign to speak with me. I make it there without incident, shove my laundry in the machine, and wait. _

_ To simulate a sort of whimsical feeling, I even sit on top of the unused washing machines instead of one of the folding chairs.  _

_ I don’t feel very whimsical, despite that. _

_ I swap my laundry after 45 minutes. _

_ I clean out the lint filters in all the dryers; most of them are already clean, though, so mostly it feels like I just manually check every dryer. I’m rewarded with a Fey coin. _

_ Once my clothes are dry, I take them back to my room and put them away. _

_ It’s now 9:30 in the morning, and I’ve run out of things to do. _

**SHUJI** : If I stop moving I might literally die.

_ Oops, that wasn’t meant to be out loud. _

_ Okay, I need to find stuff to do or I’m going to go crazy.  _

_ Sitting room? No, boring and full of death. Take a bath? Full of death. Are there any rooms that aren’t full of death?! _

_ Eventually I settle on the library.  _

_ Surrounded by books and silence, I feel like I’m calming down a bit. I wander through the shelves, my fingers tracing the spines of the books, unable to decide on a book to read. While Alena’s book is very touching, it’s not extremely riveting to someone with no access to true gardening. And I’m not exactly about to read that wizarding book again, so I need something new. _

_ Part of it, I think, is that it’s not even about finding a new book. The process of selecting one is a religious experience, one with a ritual and rules. It can never be the first book you pick up; because that one is selected based on superficial means. The second one won’t do, either. The second one is just guaranteed to be a mediocre book. _

_ I’m absolutely making this up as I go along, I realize, putting down the fourth book I’ve looked at.  _

**KYO** : There you are!

**SHUJI** : AGH!

_ I drop book #5 right on the floor with a loud bang. _

**KYO** : Hello to you too, babe. What are you doing in here?

**SHUJI** : I, huh? What? I’m reading, obviously!

**KYO** : You’re reading…

_ They lean down and pick up the book I dropped. _

**KYO** : The Complete History of Coasters and Other Table-Saving Tools? Sounds good.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, um. It’s got a slow start, but, uh, the narrative voice is. You know. It’s good.

**KYO** : Uh-huh. Are you okay, buddy?

_ It’s a trap! _

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I’m fine. 

**KYO** : Okay. Do you want to hang out?

**SHUJI** : No!

_ That came out more panicked than I meant. Fuck. _

**KYO** : Really? What is going on?

**SHUJI** : Just looking for some alone time, I guess. I’m okay.

**KYO** : Okay...Hmm. Yeah, the thing is, I don’t believe you.

_ I cross my arms in a simulation of well-minded sternness. That’s what people who are okay look like, right?  _

**SHUJI** : I’m fine.

**KYO** : Right, right, I know. You’re fine. But what are you going through right now?

**SHUJI** : Please. I get that you want me to help with the wake. I’ll come by later on and help put together some snacks, okay?

_ Kyo squints at me. I’ve never seen someone squint yet look so friendly. It somehow makes me distrust them even more. I frown and pick up the coaster book and try to bury my nose in it. _

**SHUJI** : As you can see, I’m pretty busy.

“In 1880, the first beermats made of cardboard were introduced by the German printing company, Friedrich Horn. In 1892, Robert Sputh of Dresden manufactured the first beermat made of wood pulp.”

_ Wow. This is intensely boring. _

**KYO** : Shuji.

**SHUJI** : Mm? Sorry, I’m really invested in this. 

**KYO** : You aren’t okay. Why aren’t you asking for help?

**SHUJI** : I’m fine.

**KYO** : I am about to smack that book out of your hands. It’s like 800 pages, boo. That’s gonna land directly on your feet and break both of them.

_ I look up, incredulous. _

**SHUJI** : Are you threatening to break my feet?

**KYO** : Would that threat make you talk to me? I’ve got like 4 other on the back burner if that’s not enough. Oh! Actually, 5!

**SHUJI** : Did you just...come up with another threat?

**KYO** : It has to do with shaving your head.

**SHUJI** : Don’t shave my head!

**KYO** : Then don’t ignore me! I’m an only child, Shuji. I can’t handle that kind of rejection!

**SHUJI** : What do you want?!

**KYO** : I want you to talk about your feelings! I want you to depend on me!

**SHUJI** : If I depend on you, then I can’t stand on my own.

**KYO** : [Pinching the bridge of their nose.] You’ve been talking to Miki-san, haven’t you?

**SHUJI** : It doesn’t matter. They’re right. I’ve been depending on people, and forcing everyone to depend on me. It’s not healthy.

**KYO** : Yeah, dude! You’re making yourself into a crutch!

_ I lift up my book, as if to read it again. _

**SHUJI** : Yeah, so. I’m gonna hang out on my own for a while.

_ Kyo practically karate chops the book out of my hands. I jump back so it doesn’t break my feet, which I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have done anyway, but you can never be too careful. _

**KYO** : Find a happy medium! The response to ‘I might have been overstretching bounds by providing a source of free therapy for everyone’ is not to hide in a library reading about coasters!

**SHUJI** : You just want me to help you out with the party! Why do you even care?

**KYO** : Shuji, my man, I am two seconds from slapping you. How could you think that of me? That I’d just use you like that?

**SHUJI** : …

_ When they put it like that, I did make it sound like they’re pretty heartless. _

**KYO** : Listen...I am not going to claim I’m a saint or anything. Sure, people have uses. But this is a purely favor based economy, buddy. If you do anything for me, I have to return the favor or I think I’d break out in hives. And have you seen my skin?

**SHUJI** : ...I guess it looks pretty clear to me.

**KYO** : Exactly. No selfish outbreaks on this bad boy. I’m not here to manipulate you into helping me with a stupid party. Not unless you have anything you want me to do so it would be fair…?

**SHUJI** : Uh, I can’t think of anything.

**KYO** : Yeah. I was joking anyway. Probably. Do you want to know my ulterior motive for finding you in here?

**SHUJI** : No. Yes. I don’t know. Sure. Maybe. Do I want to know?

**KYO** : Yes. It’s because you’re my friend and nobody’s seen you all day. Nobody answered when I knocked on your door. Now please, for the love of God, confide in me before I annoy you into doing it!

**SHUJI** : What would that look like?

**KYO** : I have an operatic scream, and I can do it for ages before I need to breathe.

**SHUJI** : [Snorts.] Okay, that does sound pretty annoying.

**KYO** : Thank you. Will you tell me what’s going on?

_ I nod, and head over to the seating so we can sit and talk. _

_ I tell Kyo everything that’s been going through my head. My stress about being a problem for other people, for the group. About my parents, even, a little bit. I talk about wanting to be a source of stability and assurance for everyone here.  _

_ I talk about Lani. I talk about Kata, too. I talk about Alena and Masanori. Both of us cry, for a little bit. Kyo messes up their makeup. They seem cross with me for that, but we laugh together. _

_ Kyo doesn’t talk so much as they listen, through all of it. They nod sympathetically in all the right places, and seem to get really caught up in my emotions. I wonder if their listening skills come from their party throwing, too, or if they learned that somewhere else. Or, maybe, they’re just an empathetic person. There’s that too. _

_ By the end of it, it’s almost 1 PM. _

_ I feel like Kyo and I have become closer. _

_ We head to the kitchen, after discovering that neither of us have eaten today--and I’d hardly eaten yesterday, too--to try to forage something for lunch. _

_ There, we find Aika and Fumi in separate parts of the kitchen, trying to ignore each other. I guess we should probably keep one of them company, at least, instead of creating three factions within the kitchen. Let’s not turn it into a weird awkward warzone. _

**[SELECT: Fumi.]**

_ Fumi is in progress making pancakes. _

_ By ‘in progress’ I mean staring intently at a box of mix. By ‘making’ I mean possibly having committed some kind of batter based crime a few minutes before I entered.  _

**SHUJI** : Oh, she needs our help.

**KYO** : Yes, ‘our’ help. Both of us are skilled cooks. We shall both be of great aid.

_ I laugh, but we approach her all the same. _

**SHUJI** : Hey.

**FUMI** : Oh! I wasn’t doing anything! This isn’t my mess. Oh god I’m a liar. This is my mess. I don’t know what I’m doing.

**KYO** : [Winking.] Don’t worry, we’ve got it from here!

**FUMI** : Didn’t you light fire to a bowl of rice somehow the other day?

**KYO** : [Innocently.] Must’ve been someone else.

**SHUJI** : I’ll try to help out.

**FUMI** : Don’t make it for me! I need to learn! This is how to grow as a person! What kind of mother would I be if I can’t make pancakes!

_ I start by taking the pan with the remains of a paste that is somehow as thick as plaster yet shockingly viscous and taking it to the sink to wash it out. I think, once upon a time, this was batter. _

**SHUJI** : Actually, I’m surprised you can’t cook already. What does Hisato eat?

**FUMI** : Oh, um. Well, my parents love to cook, and I never wanted to get in the way. So they just cooked for Hisato, too! It was natural. But I feel bad.

**KYO** : Your family...they own a business, right? How do they have time to cook for themselves?

**FUMI** : [Laughing.] Well it’s not like they had much choice! Plus, the hours on the surf shop are...well, lax, to put it politely.

**KYO** : What does a surf shop consist of, exactly? Do you just sell boards?

**FUMI** : Oh, this is really a conversation for Heiji. He’s all slotted to take over the shop once we--I mean, I guess we already did graduate, didn’t we? Huh. But, um, that’s his dream. 

**SHUJI** : Do you think he can handle it?

**FUMI:** Oh, yes! He’s surprisingly good at math. 

**SHUJI** : It sounds like everyone in your family is good at stuff!

**FUMI** : Yeah, I guess everyone is. But isn’t everyone? I mean outside of my family. Everyone’s good at something.

**SHUJI** : I don’t know…

**KYO** : You know, that raises a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.

**FUMI** : Me?

**KYO** : No, Shuji. What is your talent? I don’t remember you ever mentioning.

_ Kyo hops up to sit on the counter as I finish cleaning the pan and bowl that Fumi attempted to cook with, idly looking at me. I have to consider my words carefully here. _

_ Kyo and Yui are close. This is an undisputed fact. Yui found the dossiers, including mine, which revealed that whoever put us here doesn’t know my talent. Yui is suspicious of me--though what, exactly, she suspects, I’m unsure of. _

_ Well, it’s like I always say. When you have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, honesty is just as likely to be correct as anything else. _

_ By ‘always say’ I mean ‘came up with right now,’ but it’ll work. _

**SHUJI** : I don’t know.

**FUMI** : Huh? You don’t know your talent?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I don’t remember.

**KYO** : [Frowning.] That can’t be possible.

**SHUJI** : I woke up here, feeling fuzzy, and...I don’t know. Do you two remember anything from school?

**FUMI** : Little bits, sometimes. I remember video calling Hisato from my dorm…

**KYO** : Yeah, I get little snatches of memory. Like the sensation of sitting in those hard plastic chairs...or the cafeteria…

**SHUJI** : It’s the same for me. I remember some of it. I know I went to Hope’s Peak Academy, but when I try to think of what my talent might be...it’s blank.

**KYO** : Do you remember being invited?

_ I shake my head. _

**SHUJI** : I’m not even sure how it goes. Do they call you?

**KYO** : You get a letter. It was the best day of my life.

**FUMI** : Mine too. I didn’t think a talent like mine would ever get recognized, much less by a school like Hope’s Peak.

**SHUJI** : You’d think I’d remember something like that, right? But nope. 

**FUMI** : I always thought you just had an embarrassing talent or something.

**SHUJI** : Embarrassing how?

**FUMI** : [Shrugs.] Like something totally useless. Um. Christmas Tree Decorator? Uhh...Spicy Foods Expert? 

**SHUJI** : Nope, I don’t think I’m either of those things. I don’t know what being a spicy food expert would even mean. I eat a lot of it? I know a lot about it?

**KYO** : Oh, I’ve got it! Soundcloud rapper!

**SHUJI** : Hmm...I don’t...I mean, maybe?

**FUMI** : Envelope licker!

**SHUJI** : Well--

**KYO** : Sweater model?

**SHUJI** : Guys, I don’t--

**FUMI** : Oh! What about Snow Cone Machine Repairman?

**SHUJI** : That’s just overwhelmingly specific.

**KYO** : Maybe we don’t recognize him from TV and stuff because he’s the...Super High School Level Plastic Surgery Getter!

**FUMI** : Pffft! That’s too much!

**SHUJI** : Yeah that one’s a bit ridiculous.

**KYO** : I really thought I was onto something there.

**FUMI** : [Sighs.] That really blows. What do you think your talent is, Shuji?

**SHUJI** : Like I said, I don’t really know. I keep beating myself up about this...nobody else forgot, so it seems really suspicious that I did, right? Like, am I being targeted by the Host? Is my talent secretly super useful for getting me out of here, so they wiped it intentionally? Or am I the Host and I don’t even remember it? Would I ever do that? I don’t think so! But if my memories were wiped, like, how would I even know?

**KYO** : Buddy, I think you’re overthinking it. I mean, The Fey said that our memories got wiped with like, brain surgery stuff, right? 

**FUMI** : It at least implied it.

**KYO** : There’s no way a maniacal fairy with a color scheme that horrible could reliably fiddle around in your grey matter. It’s an accident, I’d guess. Someone got a little overzealous with the scalpel, so you just forgot.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, that’s the simple explanation. I just wish I knew! It’s always itching at the back of my head.

**FUMI** : We could keep naming talents, and see if it jogs a memory?

**SHUJI** : Nah, it’s time for you to learn how to make pancakes anyway.

**KYO** : Oh, I wanna learn too! C’mon Shuji-sensei! Teach us the ropes!

**FUMI** : Ooh, maybe you were a tutor?

**SHUJI** : Doesn’t seem like it. Can you pass me the mix?

**KYO** : Here ya go. Jungle gym builder?

**SHUJI** : What? No. 

**FUMI** : ...Chimneysweep?

**KYO** : What year is it?! Do those still exist?

_ Regardless of their ridiculous suggestions, we managed to make pancakes with limited failure. Only two of them burned. Either way, I feel a lot better now that people know my secret and I have some food in my body.  _

_ Kyo says something about needing to meet up with Yui and to organize the wake’s venue, and takes off as soon as they finish eating. Fumi goes along with them, to help write another heartfelt note. Both of them leave their plates on the table. _

_ I roll my eyes, but it’s with affection, and I take the time to wash their dishes and put them away. They’re not depending on me, or leaning on me, and if I wanted to I could make them do their own dishes, but I do feel nice being helpful. _

_ To prove to myself that I don’t need to babysit everyone in here, I intentionally ignore the mess Aika made. She can clean that up herself. _

_ I come out of the kitchen into the dining room again just as Noriko enters. She seems to be holding some sticks and a bundle of something. _

**NORIKO** : Shuji! I’ve been looking for you.

**SHUJI** : Apparently I’m popular today.

**NORIKO** : Yesterday you asked me a question. How do I cope? My response wasn’t very good, I think. I don’t know good ways to do this, since I kinda...well...I naturally opt towards violence a bit. But I think I found a way to cope.

**SHUJI** : That’s great!

**NORIKO** : So put this on.

_ She shoves the bundle into my hands, but as soon as I hold it I realize it’s clothing. It looks like a long sleeves shirt, but texture-wise it’s way too thick. _

**SHUJI** : What is this?

**NORIKO** : It’s padding. Protection. Also, you’ll need this.

_ She hands me one of the sticks, which turns out to be smooth and round, flat at each end. _

**SHUJI** : A dowel?

**NORIKO** : Yes. I was thinking the garden would make a good vista. I first thought the stage, but as Kyo is planning the wake in the theatre, I didn’t want to interrupt…

**SHUJI** : I’m sorry, you said this was to help you cope? What are we doing?

**NORIKO** : We’re doing what all good knights have done with their squires. No offense. You’re not a squire but you’re my friend so you’re filling that role.

**SHUJI** : Uh, none taken.

**NORIKO** : We’re going to hit each other with sticks! I’m going to use physical release to help with my emotional release. And it’s good for you!

_ When enough weird shit happens to you, especially if it happens all at once, there’s a decision everyone has to make for themself. Do they resist it, and retreat into their turtle shell so they don’t have to deal with any more nonsense? Or do they roll with the punches and just see what comes of it? _

_ Before I’d come here to the murder house, perhaps I would have chosen the former. _

_ But now? _

_ I mean, it’s just one of those days. This might as well happen. _

**SHUJI** : Alright.

_ Noriko lets me put my shoulder bag in my room and change into some more athletic clothing, in addition to the padding she lent me, and then we head to the garden. _

_ After looking around for a decent spot to spar, as I guess that’s what we’re doing, Noriko settles on a wide flat area toward the center of the greenhouse where the last wake was held. She determines its utility as I look at it with a much less trained eye. There are scattered benches separating the flat dirt ground and the lush expanse. The dirt that the plants thrive in seems to be a darker, richer stuff than the kind we’re meant to walk on, creating a clear path. _

_ On one of the benches is the stereo from the last wake, katana still in place. It looks absurd in this beautiful garden. _

_ I wonder what the intent for this area was when it was built. Was this a house that the Host owned? Was it leant to them for this purpose? If so, how much alteration had to happen before it was ready for a killing game? I imagine cameras would have had to be installed; though some rich people are paranoid enough some might already have them. The laundry room had been altered, probably, but otherwise? _

_ Who knows, maybe this is just how rich people live? _

**NORIKO** : Are you ready?

**SHUJI** : Oh! Sure!

**NORIKO** : [Laughing.] Are you sure?

_ I look down at myself. I don’t know what else I should do to get ready. I grip my dowel tightly and look back at her. _

**SHUJI** : I think so?

**NORIKO** : Okay. If you say so.

_ She swings at me with her dowel, clearly aiming only for padded areas, and I try to block the swing. I’m too slow, by a lot. _

WHAP!

_ The impact of the stick, although tempered slightly by the padding, is enough to knock me off of my feet instantly. _

_ Lying in the dirt, I look up at Noriko. She looks amused as she lends me a hand. _

**SHUJI** : You’re not called the Super High School Level Knight for nothing, I guess.

**NORIKO** : Being a knight doesn’t have anything to do with knocking people down, Shuji. Here, your stance--splay your feet wider, and lower your center of gravity. Try bending your knees a bit, and be ready to move.

_ I follow her instructions, adjusting my stance and holding my dowel in front of me. _

**SHUJI** : Where did you learn all this?

**NORIKO** : Ren faire. My mentor took me to one as a kid and I got obsessed with it. Everyone looked so...No, you’ll make fun of me.

**SHUJI** : No I won’t! How did everyone look?

**NORIKO** : I’ll talk, but only if we spar at the same time.

**SHUJI** : Deal.

_ We start circling each other, and I pay much closer attention to how she’s moving now. She’s lithe, tense to the point of being ready to pounce but somehow so relaxed and natural it’s impossible to predict when she’ll leap forward to hit me. I try to mimic her motions as best I can, but I’m clumsy. _

**NORIKO** : They looked shiny.

**SHUJI** : Shiny?

**NORIKO** : They were probably sweaty. But everyone seemed to shimmer under the mid-afternoon sun--from the silly people roleplaying being barmaids to the beautiful horses toiling to keep poorly armored men in motion.

_ She sighs, apparently nostalgic, and I take my chance to try to hit her. She parries it easily, and uses the motion to jab me in the shoulder as well. I step back, and she smiles. _

**SHUJI** : So that was your inspiration?

**NORIKO** : Pretty tame, right? I studied it, though. I worked part time jobs and had the help of my mentor to afford sword lessons, dance lessons, horse lessons...I was very busy through middle and early high school.

**SHUJI** : That’s admirable.

_ Noriko smiles at me, and I smile back. She uses the moment to surge forward like lightning, and I barely get my dowel up in time. Still, it’s not enough. She slides hers along it and knocks it out of my hands, checking my hip with her stick and knocking me down to one knee. _

**NORIKO** : Thank you.

**SHUJI** : [Wheezing.] If being a knight isn’t about knocking people down, why are you so good at it?

_ Noriko laughs, and helps me up again. _

**NORIKO** : I guess I’ve always been a big girl with a penchant for pushing. But being a knight is about helping people. Not everyone is inclined towards fighting, or getting beat up.

**SHUJI** : There are people inclined toward getting beat up?

**NORIKO** : Yes, I was assuming you were one of them. Keep your dowel up.

_ I do as she says. _

**SHUJI** : So, you help people? That’s it?

**NORIKO** : I protect people. Apparently not very well.

_ She frowns, and that’s the only warning I get before her dowel is pressed against my ribs. _

_ At least this time I’m not on the ground. _

_ I knock her dowel away. _

**SHUJI** : You’re doing the best you can with the circumstances.

**NORIKO** : I disagree.

_ I feint to the left, and she falls for it--I manage to touch my dowel to her shoulder before she bats it away impatiently. She strikes it a second time, following through hard enough to knock the dowel from my hands again. _

**SHUJI** : You can’t protect all of us. You’re doing what you can.

**NORIKO** : I can do better.

_ I pick up my dowel, and the circling begins again. _

**SHUJI** : Everyone can do better. That’s the point of learning and growing. You are not responsible for everything that’s happened here.

**NORIKO** : I am.

_ She comes at me with all the pent up feelings she’s had since Alena died, I think. First she lunges forward, and I hold up my dowel in a weak defense that she quickly swats away. She pounds her stick into my shoulder, once, then on the other one, twice. I whack ineffectually at her, and she spirals around me, hitting my sides. _

_ I turn, desperately trying to keep up with her, but she’s fast. She lashes out, nearly knocking my dowel from my hand. When I told tight, she hits it again, and again, and again, until my hand feels numb from the shock. _

_ When I finally drop it, it doesn’t take a lot for her to knock me on my back. _

_ I lie there, wheezing for a bit, and stare at the glass ceiling above us. I can hear Noriko panting, too, but she remains out of my field of view. _

_ After a few moments, she comes over to me, and offers me a hand up yet again. _

**NORIKO** : I’m sorry. I can’t reconcile the idea I hold as my identity as a protector and the reality that people have died while I watched. It’s hard.

**SHUJI** : That’s okay. Do you want to hit me some more? Would that make you feel better?

**NORIKO** : [Laughing.] No, I don’t need to hit you to feel better. But could I teach you? You’ve got raw talent, you know.

**SHUJI** : Really? I thought I was getting my ass kicked.

**NORIKO** : Oh, you definitely were. No offense.

**SHUJI** : [Laughing.] None taken. Teach me.

_ We spend the next hour with her patiently teaching me how to actually land successful hits on her. It’s grueling. She doesn’t seem to get tired, only getting more enthusiastic as I get closer to being a half-decent swordsman. Dowelman? That doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. _

_ Eventually, she lets me take a break, and I sprawl on the ground while she takes a seat on one of the benches. _

**SHUJI** : Tell me about your mentor.

**NORIKO** : Hm? Why?

**SHUJI** : They helped you be the person you are. I’m curious.

**NORIKO** : It’s a bit of a long story.

**SHUJI** : Good, I’m so tired I can barely talk. Keep me awake with it.

**NORIKO** : As you wish. I’m a foster child, and I have been my whole life. I don’t remember my birth parents, and I hardly pay them a mind. They named me, I believe, but that’s all I know.

_ I make a noise of encouragement. _

**NORIKO** : The foster system is...not incredible. It’s fine. I was not lucky. Or maybe I was a bad child. Maybe both; it’s hard to say. But I found little kinship in the families that took me in, and I was often pushed off onto other families as soon as possible.

**SHUJI** : Why do you say you were bad?

**NORIKO** : I would hit other kids. I told you, I have a propensity for violence. I’ve nurtured it in a positive direction now, but as a child if I saw someone doing something I believed to be bad or wrong, I would kick. A lot. Sometimes I bit.

**SHUJI** : I can definitely picture you as a scrappy kid.

**NORIKO** : It isn’t hard, is it? Anyway, when I was a kid I chased a dog through town instead of going home after school once, and she lead me to the home of a woman called Nori.

**SHUJI** : That’s really similar to your name!

**NORIKO** : I know, and as a kid that was all it took for us to be friends. She was...grace. Just grace. She worked as a costume designer overseas for years, but had recently retired back to Japan with her dog. 

**SHUJI** : Is Nori your mentor?

**NORIKO** : One and the same. She made me this armor, actually! At the time, I’d wanted it more historically accurate, but she held comfort and utility over accuracy. I respect that, now.

**SHUJI** : Did she adopt you?

**NORIKO** : Mm...In a way. She couldn’t legally, due to her technically being a self employed single woman and my status as a problem child. But when I moved to new houses within the city, I’d always find her again. Towards the end of my stay in a foster home there were...events. That transpired. That lead me to staying with her, anyway.

**SHUJI** : Transpired? Do you want to talk about it?

**NORIKO** : I...ah…

_ I sit up to look at her. She looks remarkably sad, chewing her lip. Suddenly she seems not like an avowed protector of the weak, or a grizzled sword teacher, but just like a little girl. I open my mouth to reassure her, but the sound of a throat clearing distracts me. _

**YUI** : Excuse me.

**SHUJI** : Hey, Yui.

**NORIKO** : Yui! It’s good to see you.

**YUI** : Why are you lying in the dirt?

**SHUJI** : I got my ass kicked.

**NORIKO** : He’s getting better.

**YUI** : [Sighs.] The wake is starting in less than an hour. I was going to tell you to head that direction, but for the love of god please shower first.

**SHUJI** : Yes ma’am.

**NORIKO** : My apologies.

**YUI** : [Blushing.] That’ll do. I’ll see you in the theatre.

_ She walks away as I get to my feet, and for once I offer Noriko a hand up. She smiles sadly at me. _

**NORIKO** : I protected someone. Let’s say that. It should be a happy memory, but it isn’t.

**SHUJI** : I won’t pry.

**NORIKO** : Thank you. Let’s get ready, okay? I’ll return the dowels to the workshop.

_ We head our separate ways soon enough, and I take a much needed shower. _

_ I guess it’s a Two-Shower kind of day. Based on Kyo’s expectations last time, I feel obligated to wear a suit. But I really don’t feel up for the jacket and everything after such a long day. I put on the floral suit pants and a button up shirt, but otherwise I leave it casual. _

_ If Kyo yells at me I’ll tell them Noriko trained me to be a dowelmaster and not to mess with me. _

_ Not that I think it’s going to come up. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update on the 10th of December if all goes according to plan!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has come this far with me on cornucopia of hope! I know the last few updates were a little emotionally rough, and I'm so proud of being able to communicate those emotions, but they definitely weren't easy to get through. Upcoming chapters will be a bit easier to stomach, as everyone learns genuine coping mechanisms (thanks, Kyo, for yelling at Shuji until he cooperated...)
> 
> If you have any thoughts, feedback, nitpicks, anything--feel free to leave a comment below or join the discord linked in the fic summary to yell at me in person!


	28. Chapter Three: Panic (5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wake!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, important note here! This chapter deals with alcohol quite a bit. If you'd like to avoid reading about that, stop reading after Roxxy enters and says "I got drinks!" 
> 
> Don't worry, I've included a summary of what goes down without alcohol content at the end of this!

_ I arrive in the theatre and the party seems to be already set up, which is something of a relief. An animated movie is up on the screen, which seems to lack any dialogue. It’s purely aesthetic at this point, but it’s a nice 90s anime style that feels perfectly nostalgic. _

_ Isei is making popcorn with the machine and setting bags of it on the stage, which we seem to be using as a table, and others are scattered throughout the room. The lighting is dim because of the playing movie, but brighter than movie theatres typically are. I guess all of us are a little sick of the dark. _

_ I head over to stand by Isei and he acknowledges me with a nod. I stand against the wall with him as people filter in. Once Aika comes in, and everyone is present, Kyo steps up on the stage. _

**KYO** : Hey, everyone. How are you all doing?

_ There’s a few grumbles, but mostly nobody says anything. _

**ROXXY** : I’m good! How are you?

**MIKI** : This isn’t a pep rally, Katayama!

**KATHERINE** : Get on with it!

**KYO** : Er...yeah. Right. Ahem. I want to thank everyone for gathering tonight.

**MIKI** : It’s not like we had anything better to do…

**ROXXY** : Stop heckling!

**YUI** : Please. Pay attention.

**KYO** : Thank you. I wanted to thank you, because I know you could have stayed in your rooms. You could have given in to paranoia and suspicion and hopelessness. But we’re here, together, as friends, to celebrate the lives of Kata Ama and Pi’Lani Ozaki.

_ There’s a moment of silence as they stand, their hands loosely in their pockets, looking out at the 12 of us that remain. Their face is sober, but with the hint of a sad smile.  _

**KYO** : We’ve all been through a lot together. I’m sure all of us will be getting a lot of serious therapy.

_ A smatter of laughter follows, but Miki is still grumbling. _

**KYO** : Don’t worry, all. I’m definitely going to make my parents pay for all of us. If our security system is shitty enough to let me get kidnapped, I’m sure we can afford to pay for therapy.

_ Now even Miki is smiling, although it seems slightly begrudging.  _

**KYO** : I just wanted to express my gratitude to everyone here. We’re all doing our best to be kind to each other, in our own ways. We’re all going to get out of here to face the horrors of therapy, I promise you. Lani sacrificed himself for all of us, and we will not treat it in vain. I vow to make his death the last one in this house.

_ Noriko is the first to start clapping, even preceding Yui, but after a while everyone is giving applause to the short but poignant speech. Kyo bows, half gracious and half goofy, and gets off of the stage to join Noriko and a handful of others. _

**ISEI** : They really do give great speeches, don’t they?

**SHUJI** : I guess so.

**PV** : Do you think they mean it?

_ I hadn’t seen them approach, but here they are with a bag of popcorn in their hand. _

**ISEI** : Which part? 

**SHUJI** : I’m pretty sure their family can afford my therapy bills. I’m super ready to take advantage of an uber rich person’s wallet. 

**PV** : [Amused.] Do you think they mean it that we’ll all get out of here?

**ISEI** : I think...hmm. It’s impossible to say. 

**MIKI** : God, is this the loser corner?

**PV** : This is the popcorn--ah, this isn’t a corner. This is a wall. This is a popcorn stand, Miki.

**HEIJI** : Haha, I get it. Cuz your hair is a shape! So you know shapes. Nice commitment to a theme.

_ Heiji and Miki arrive without popcorn, but seem fairly relaxed compared to PV and Isei. This should make for an interesting group to start the party off with, assuming The Fey doesn’t interrupt. Fingers crossed. _

**MIKI** : What are you guys talking about, anyway?

_ We summarize the topic quickly, and they guffaw. _

**MIKI** : Okay, so there’s a few options there. We say, ‘Yeah! Everything’s okay!’ and like, high five--

**HEIJI** : I’m down for that. I’ll start! Yay! Everything’s--

**MIKI** : Or we prepare for disaster, which we really fucking haven’t been doing. Guess which one is gonna keep people safe.

**HEIJI** : Gonna leave me hangin’?

_ Miki begrudgingly high fives Heiji. _

**PV** : So it comes down to hoping for the best vs preparing for the worst?

**SHUJI** : I don’t see why we can’t do both.

**ISEI** : Most people see preparing for the worst as an absence of actual faith in each other.

**HEIJI** : Well then they’re dumb. If you think somebody’s stealing your pears, but you’re not sure, you might as well watch the pears! Right? But that doesn’t mean you have to be a dick to your friends because they might’ve stolen the pears.

**PV** : I think Miki is implying that if we extend this trust to each other, we’ll be blinded to any duplicitous actions that could lead to something a little worse than pear theft.

**HEIJI** : So that’s why you keep an eye on the pears! It’s so basic!

**ISEI** : So, enforce rules to keep us all safe, but still extend trust and faith to one another?

**SHUJI** : So instead of locking up potential pear thieves, we just do our part to make sure the pears are in a safe spot?

**HEIJI** : That way you’re totally discouraging pear theft altogether! Problem solved!

**MIKI** : [Laughing.] What is it with you and pears today?

**HEIJI** : I don’t know, I’m kinda hungry.

_ PV extends their bag of popcorn to him, and he delightedly takes a handful. _

**PV** : So what we need is a system of rules and some way to enforce them to ensure everyone remains safe.

**MIKI** : I like this plan as long as it doesn’t involve me getting tied to a chair again. That sucked.

**ISEI** : To be fair, you did try to murder Heiji.

**SHUJI** : Wow, I kinda forgot about that.

**MIKI** : What’s a little murder attempt among friends, right?

_ The sputter of laughter in the group is largely involuntary, given that it’s really not that funny all things considered, but the passive shrug that accompanied such a ridiculous statement is enough to prompt giggles from all of us. _

**HEIJI** : Yeah, we can’t tie them to a chair. What would have to laugh about without ‘em?

**MIKI** : I’m glad I can provide a service? I guess?

_ Their indignation just draws more laughter. _

**PV** : We should toast. To friends.

**SHUJI** : Ah, I forgot to bring anything from the kitchen to toast with.

**PV** : This party is less appointed than the previous one…

**ISEI** : It’s not his job to be our caterer.

**PV** : No offense meant.

**HEIJI** : Why don’t we just head down to the kitchen and grab some libations?

**ISEI** : I’m gonna stay here and make sure the popcorn doesn’t catch on fire. You guys go ahead.

**MIKI** : I’ll keep the big guy company.

**PV** : I’ll come with you.

_ I shrug. _

**SHUJI** : Okay, sure. As long as I’m not the only one carrying stuff.

_ Although the party is already in swing, the three of us exit to get something to drink. As we walk through the empty house all the way down to the kitchen, we talk about important stuff. _

**HEIJI** : So...France…

**PV** : That is where I am from, yes.

**HEIJI** : So, like, what’s the biggest snail you’ve eaten?

**PV** : ...Snail?

**HEIJI** : Do they farm them to be giant over there? Since they’re popular to eat it seems like they would.

**SHUJI** : How big do you think they get, Heiji?

**HEIJI** : Logically? No idea. Ideally? Big enough to ride around like horses.

**PV** : Snails? I heard you right? The little...ah...slugs with houses?

**SHUJI** : Yeah. Slimy boys.

**HEIJI** : Slimy boys!!

**PV** : Well now I have a dilemma. Do I answer your questions about French snail production honestly, or do I say something interesting so as not to dilute your enthusiasm?

**HEIJI** : Just follow your heart, buddy. Say what feels right.

**SHUJI** : I hope you do the fun one, personally.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, ignore what I just said. Do the fun one.

**PV** : The snails are gigantic. When they die, their hollowed out shells are used as houses in the countryside.

**HEIJI** : Oh  _ fuck _ yeah.

**SHUJI** : When we get out of here, let’s move into a French snail house.

**PV** : Unfortunately, the shells are quite thin so they’re quite affected by weather...Actually, this is a pretty good concept for a song.

**HEIJI** : Do your songs have lyrics?

**PV** : Sometimes. Purveyors of vaporwave generally frown upon original lyrics, preferring to use recycled vocals from popular songs from Japan or just the 80s. I like to create original content, which is a little controversial, due to the atmosphere of--

_ PV talks like that for a while as we fetch soda bottles and cups. Sometimes Heiji and I exchange a blank look when we hear phrases like ‘anti-capitalistic irony farms,’ but mostly we are just glad to have the tide of information washing over us rather than asking us directly to engage.  _

_ By the time we’re heading back up the stairs, it seems that they’ve talked themself into a lull for the time being. We pass through the second floor quickly as they muse to themself about...you know...whatever...vaporwave I guess and Heiji and I are unsure what to talk about. _

**SHUJI** : Heiji, have you been in the bath house yet?

**HEIJI** : Since...Uh. I checked it out. I thought I could de-murder the room by like, being comfortable and making a new memory, but it was mad spooky.

**PV** : Don’t you think it’s interesting that there’s no sign of the cor--ahem, of Alena or Kata after the trial?

**SHUJI** : Isei and I talked about that before...before anything started. After the chandelier got cleaned up.

**PV** : Right, it did just miraculously return to a whole state.

**HEIJI** : I figured it was magic.

**SHUJI** : What, really?

_ Heiji chuckles, shaking his head. _

**HEIJI** : Not like, real magic. But the same kind of unexplainable stuff like us missing memories, or like a giant murder mansion with the ground floor apparently underground, and stuff like that. Where it’s like, I can try to puzzle it out but I’m obviously missing a lot of info. So for the time being it might as well be magic.

**PV** : That’s a very interesting way to look at it. Heiji, you are a font of inspiration. I should take notes.

**HEIJI** : Haha, okay, sure.

**PV** : No, really! The idea of the unexplainable, even if that state is only temporary, functionally being magic is pretty tight concept work. The fragility of beauty from the snail shells, and now this?

**SHUJI** : Isei and I think it might be a cleaning crew. While we sleep they sneak in and make sure the messes are gone.

**PV** : You mean...that would involve a whole group of people complicit in this.

**HEIJI** : Here’s a question: do we hold the cleaning ladies responsible the same way we do whoever actually put us here? Or is it like, just their jobs, and they’ve gotta make money, so they do bad stuff because they’ve gotta?

**SHUJI** : Why don’t we talk about that with the group?

_ By this time we’re pretty close to the theatre anyway. Heiji nods and we make our way in. People have grouped up, but so far Isei and Miki are still hanging out by the popcorn. We place the drinks and cups on the stage near the pre-bagged popcorn, filling some cups for ourselves, and head over. _

**PV** : Did we miss anything?

**MIKI** : Isei burned the popcorn.

**ISEI** : I didn’t!

**SHUJI** : Did you?

**ISEI** : I may have...overcooked it...a bit. It’s not burned.

**SHUJI** : Isei. Is it burned?

**ISEI** : A little bit burned. It’s fine. I’ll eat it!

**PV** : Sounds eventful.

**MIKI** : Yeah, well, I’m sure your trip to grab some soda was a riot.

**HEIJI** : Well, Pure here talked about uh...music, I think. I think it was music.

**PV** : It’s basically music, yeah.

**HEIJI** : And we thought about some stuff revolving around our situation here.

**ISEI** : Anything good?

**HEIJI** : Musically? I have no clue, man. I really don’t know.

**SHUJI** : We were talking about the idea of a cleaning service who cleaned and repaired the chandelier, as well as taking away Kata and Alena’s bodies.

**ISEI** : I noticed that they were gone, as well. 

**MIKI** : On one level I’m glad they’re not just...rotting in there. But on the other, I don’t trust anybody who put is in murder town to be respectful of corpses.

**PV** : Heiji brought up the point of culpability. Should we think of the cleaners just as harshly as we think of the Host?

**ISEI** : Hmm…

**MIKI** : I don’t see the point. Like, what do moral judgments even fucking matter at this stage? We can’t argue with them, we don’t know anything about them, and there’s just...no point. 

**PV** : Moral arguments can be helpful, though.

**MIKI** : I think it’s more important to focus on the fact that cleaners are getting in and out of here undetected. It means there’s an exit.

**ISEI** : True. Back at the start I assumed the front door was...you know, a front door, so I didn’t put too much thought into it.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, what is UP with that funky tunnel? There’s loads of windows in the house, I’m assuming, behind all the metal, but that tunnel was definitely dirt, right?

**PV** : Maybe they buried the house?

**SHUJI** : There’s plenty of stuff that points to the house not being constructed for this, with the laundry room and stuff, so…

**MIKI** : So it’s a house that some dickhead already owned, and then buried?

**ISEI** : It might make it harder for people to spot us from satellites if the house is underground, maybe.

**PV** : That’s true. There must be people looking for us, which means the Host must have taken caution in concealing us.

**HEIJI** : Who buries a house?!

**MIKI** : Who makes people kill each other! It’s pointless to understand the logic behind it! 

_ In a display of frustration, Miki just shovels a handful of popcorn into their mouth. For a moment they look like a horse eating oats out of the hand of a patient owner, except it’s their own hand, and they’re making angry noises as they hoover up all that popcorn. _

_ It’s a compelling demonstration, to say the least. I snatch a handful of popcorn from Isei’s bag and follow suit. Popcorn will cure this confusion. If it doesn’t, at least it’s a tasty treat. _

**SHUJI** : Blegh! God, this is burned!

_ Not a tasty treat at all!  _

**ISEI** : Well it’s your fault for taking some from my bag without asking! I would have warned you!

**PV:** [Nodding.] Hubris…

_ Heiji just laughs, and after scowling at the nasty black popcorn in my hand for a second, I laugh too. I get my own thing of popcorn from the stage, and shove a handful of exquisitely unburnt popcorn into Isei’s bag to provide him with some variety from the hellscape of charred corn he’s subjecting himself with. _

_ As we sip our drinks, hiding smiles as we continue to be amused, my stomach sinks. _

_ Lani would have loved this. _

_ A tear slips down my cheek unchecked, and I don’t bother hiding it.  _

_ It’s so easy to imagine him here, bringing people popcorn, popping back and forth between conversations, laughing at Miki… _

**HEIJI** : Hey, man, are you okay?

_ Heiji puts a hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes. It’s surprisingly healing. At least it’s comforting enough to prompt me to talk. _

**SHUJI** : I miss Lani.

**HEIJI:** Oh...yeah.

**PV** : That’s the point.

**MIKI** : Huh?

**PV** : The point of a wake. We’re meant to celebrate his life, and mourn his loss.

**MIKI** : Well, this is hardly a fucking party. 

_ Just as Miki says that, crossing their arms in a huff, Roxxy comes in through the doors--I hadn’t notice her leave, but now she’s here brandishing bottles above her head. _

**ROXXY** : I got dranks everyone!

**ISEI** : Uh oh.

**HEIJI** : Oh, thank god, I thought I was the only one who brought some.

_ Heiji reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out a bottle of tequila. _

**SHUJI** : Holy shit.

_ As if responding to some hidden cue, all of us seek out and find Aika, who is comfortably drinking something out of a flask. _

**AIKA** : I’m not sharing. Piss off.

**NORIKO** : I’m not sure about this--

**KYO** : Lighten up. It’s a wake. We’re allowed to get a little rowdy.

_ Roxxy sets her alcohol on the stage, and Heiji joins suit. Yui shrugs and joins them, beginning to mix drinks for the group. _

**ISEI** : I guess that’s one way to process grief…

**SHUJI** : Yeah, but it looks like fun. 

_ I head over to the stage and grab a drink that Yui mixed. I sip it carefully, in case it’s overwhelmingly strong, but it seems to taste mostly like juice. She smiles as I thank her, and I move to rejoin the group. _

**KYO** : Hey! Shuji! C’mon over here!

_ Kyo beckons me, surrounded by Katherine, Fumi, and Noriko. I wave to my previous group, who hardly notice my absence, and I head over to join them. _

**NORIKO** : We were going to ask about your stance on underage drinking, but it looks as though you’ve made your choice.

_ She looks at my fruity drink with disdain. _

_ I take a long sip. _

**FUMI** : Don’t you think it’s a little...oh...Irresponsible?

**KATHERINE** : I thought you’d be on Team Buzzkill for sure.

**SHUJI** : Well, here’s how I’m looking at it. I’m super sad about everything, so I’m gonna drink this fun juice to have some fun.

**KATHERINE** : ...Fun Juice?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, the juice that makes you have fun. Fun juice.

**KYO** : I’m, personally, all for a little bit of safe, supervised drinking. My parents taught me how to drink wine responsibly starting at 14.

**FUMI** : But we’re not supervised!

**KATHERINE** : No, we’re in a murder mansion.

**KYO** : Exactly! We’re in a murder mansion, so the usual rules fall away in favor of drinks.

**NORIKO** : But it’s illegal.

**KATHERINE** : Noriko, let me ask you something.

_ As Katherine takes ahold of one of Noriko’s shoulders, she reaches out for my drink. I shrug and place it in her hand. _

**KATHERINE** : If you were a government agency dedicated to prosecuting evil doers--

**NORIKO** : I  _ do _ look out for evil doers.

**KYO** : Precisely.

**KATHERINE** : Yeah. Which of the following things would you dedicate your resources to? A) Underage drinking, B) Kidnapping, C) Murder, D) Some kind of wild terrorism plot targeting the graduates of Hope’s Peak Academy?

**KYO** : I can’t speak for Noriko, but I’d definitely pick D.

**FUMI** : Hmm...yeah...I guess one of those is definitely worse…

**NORIKO** : If you simply refrain from doing bad things to avoid punishment, then you have no moral compass.

_ Katherine takes a sip of my drink, shrugs, and hands it back. She left a lipstick stain all over the glass; I guess she doesn’t seal the makeup very well. _

**KATHERINE** : Maybe I don’t have a moral compass. Is that worse than underage drinking?

**NORIKO** : I’m concerned for your safety. And maybe your soul, now? That was super concerning. Do you not have a moral compass?

**SHUJI** : Noriko, look. We’re all so tense any of us could snap and something terrible could happen. We’re miserable, we’re mourning, and as we learned this afternoon; catharsis helps.

**NORIKO** : [Grumbling.] Why can’t they just hit each other with sticks like rational adults?

**KYO** : Is this a euphemism?

**SHUJI** : No, we really did that.

**KYO** : Wow!

**FUMI** : Alcohol does inhibit inhibitions. Er, that was repetitive. But if people are worried about expressing themselves about this…It could help.

**KATHERINE** : That’s one half of Team Buzzkill. Would it help if I got you a drink?

**NORIKO** : No thank you. I see your logic, but I’m going to refuse to participate.

**KYO** : You do kind of have a designated driver vibe.

**NORIKO** : Tragically, I don’t have a license.

**FUMI** : Designated rider, then? 

**KATHERINE** : [Nodding sagely.] Because horses.

**SHUJI** : Has Kathy already been drinking?

**KYO** : A bit, yeah. She helped prep the event so she got first look in the kitchen and took a nip for...I don’t know, nerves? Whatever, she’s earned it.

**FUMI** : I think I’ll get a drink. Just one or two, you know.

**SHUJI** : Liberate yourself, Fumi.

**NORIKO** : You don’t think it’s at all dangerous to have people milling about, intoxicated, in a murder mansion?

**KYO** : People have impaired motor skills while drinking. Any murder attempts would be pretty hit or miss.

**NORIKO** : Hopefully miss.

**KYO** : That’s the spirit! Fumi, you stay here, I’ll get something for you.

_ They turn on their heel and head toward Yui and the alcohol. _

**KATHERINE** : Is Kyo hitting on you?

**FUMI** : Me?

**NORIKO** : They’re certainly not hitting on me.

**SHUJI** : They might have threatened to hit me earlier, but I don’t think they were hitting  _ on _ me.

**NORIKO** : People keep saying really alarming things during this wake.

**KATHERINE** : Yeah, you. Fumi. They’re getting you a drink.

**FUMI** : Oh, I don’t think so. I think they just like to keep moving around during parties, right?

**KATHERINE** : How would you react if they did hit on you?

**FUMI** : Wh-what? Why? Are you hitting on me?

**KATHERINE** : I’m pretty firmly taken. 

**SHUJI** : I get the impression Katherine’s type is small and abrasive.

**NORIKO** : Like those little coarse wire sponges?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, except pink.

**FUMI** : Then why are you asking?

**KATHERINE** : Well, I thought you were with Roxxy.

**FUMI** : You thought  _ what?! _

_ I sip my drink, getting a little bit of lipstick in my mouth. Gross. _

**NORIKO** : Okay, to be fair, I thought you were with her as well. Where’s the outrage coming from?

**KYO** : I missed something, didn’t I?

_ Kyo is back with two drinks, one in each hand. They pass one to Fumi and take a sip from theirs, which is looks to have a lot less juice and sugar than mine and Fumi’s. _

**SHUJI** : We’re asking Fumi about Roxxy.

**KYO** : Ooh! Gossip! I’m in. Is she a good kisser? She looks enthusiastic but maybe not technically skilled.

**FUMI** : [Blushing angrily] We haven’t kissed!

**NORIKO** : Hey! Stop embarrassing her!

**KATHERINE** : That’s not embarrassing. I haven’t kissed Miki yet, either.

**FUMI** : I am not dating Roxxy! 

**KYO** : Well why not?

**NORIKO** : ...They do have a point. Why not?

**FUMI** : Wh-?! What’s wrong with you? We barely know each other!

**KATHERINE** : Fumi.

_ Katherine moves to take Fumi by the shoulders, now. I guess she’s a lot more willing to touch people with a little bit of dranks in her system. _

**FUMI** : ...Yes?

**KATHERINE** : Life is so fucking short. We could die tonight. If you end up regretting it later, that’s later. Live for the now.

_ Fumi splutters for a few moments, backing away from Katherine, before gathering herself and taking a large gulp of her drink. _

**FUMI** : You all seem pretty confident Roxxy even likes me like that. I think you--you’re operating on a lot of assumptions!

**SHUJI** : But you like her, right?

**FUMI** : Of course, she’s my friend! She’s been there for me through all of this. She’s strong, and beautiful, and I...admire her. A lot. 

**KYO** : Okay, you admire her. Does this admiration come with a lot of imagined hand holding?

**FUMI** : Girls hold hands with each other all the time. It’s a friend thing.

**KYO** : Right, right...and do friends loudly declare their love for each other all the time?

**KATHERINE** : I’ve definitely heard Roxxy declaring some stuff.

**FUMI** : Yes, they do! Jeez, Kyo, it’s like you’ve never had a good friend!

**NORIKO** : Do you care about Roxxy romantically, Fumi?

_ Fumi blushes, looks mad about it, and takes another big drink. Instead of laughing, I take a drink too in solidarity. _

**FUMI** : I...decline to answer. 

**KATHERINE** : Oh, come on!

**FUMI** : What is this, a sleepover? I’m allowed to have secrets.

**KYO** : That’s a yes.

**KATHERINE** : That’s a mega-yes.

**SHUJI** : We shouldn’t pressure her if she doesn’t want to admit she has a crush. It’s not like this is really the environment for romance.

**KYO** : You  _ would _ say that.

**FUMI** : Shuji’s right! And even if I  _ did _ like her, there’s no point. She’s got bigger fish to fry, right?

**NORIKO** : You’re worried she doesn’t like you back?

**FUMI** : We’re friends. That’s enough, you know? Sometimes it has to be enough.

**SHUJI** : Hmm…

_ I think back to several conversations I’ve had with Roxxy. It doesn’t take a lot of consideration to arrive at the conclusion that Roxxy is bonkers in love with Fumi, but I also recall Roxxy specifically requesting that I don’t tell anybody. As a result, I sip my drink. _

**KYO** : See, that’s your problem. You’re unobservant.

**FUMI** : Oh.

**KYO** : Not in a bad way! In a cute way! Roxxanne Rose is not known for subtlety.

**KATHERINE** : Isn’t she a magician? Aren’t magic acts like…

_ She wiggles her fingers vaguely, as if to communicate her meaning. _

**NORIKO** : Deftness is not to be mistaken for subtlety. Her shows are excessively bright and loud, from what I’ve heard.

**KYO** : I’ve actually been to one of her shows! The tickets are pricey, even for me, but boy was it worth it. You have to sign a waiver when you buy your ticket that if you sit within 20 rows of the stage, you’re okay with glitter being on your person for the next few weeks.

**KATHERINE** : My mom went to one, too. I wasn’t allowed, but my mom was bitching about the girls on stage being so scantily clad nobody could take their eyes off of them, so the card tricks were like...barely there.

**NORIKO** : Perhaps that’s another style of subtle. She creates an atmosphere in which even something obvious can be easily hidden...such as her feelings for Fumi.

**SHUJI** : You mean she’s hiding her feelings for Fumi by declaring her deep love for Fumi all the time?

**FUMI** : You’re saying I can’t see the forest for the trees?

**KATHERINE** : I’m pretty sure you two could be making out and you’d be like ‘Oh jeez I wonder if she’s into me…’

**FUMI** : I just don’t want to rush into things!

**KATHERINE** : Either of you could die tomorrow. If there’s a time to rush, it’s now.

**FUMI** : I don’t know…

**SHUJI** : Let’s leave her alone, guys. Fumi’s smart. She can make up her own mind.

**FUMI** : Thank you.

**KYO** : Aw, then who will we tease now?

**FUMI** : Nobody! Teasing is bad!

**KATHERINE** : I vote Noriko.

**NORIKO** : Me?!

**KYO** : I don’t know, there’s not a lot to go off of here. She’s pretty solid.

**KATHERINE** : ‘Ohh look at me I’m so strong and stoic and caring! Let me pick you up with all my muscles and take care of you...’ 

_ Katherine snorts. _

**SHUJI** : Wow, you really know how to lay on insults. They’re so ironic they sound just like compliments.

**KATHERINE** : It’s all an act though, right? 

**KYO** : C’mon, Noriko is super dedicated. It’s her whole deal! You can’t claim that’s phony.

**NORIKO** : No, you’re right. To an extent.

**KATHERINE** : Ha!

**FUMI** : Really?

**NORIKO** : I present myself the way I want to be perceived, it’s true. But I think of it more like I’m acting the way I want to be. I don’t truly believe myself to be the apex of all justice and morality, and I’m unsure of anyone who truly is. But I would like to be. So I act accordingly.

**SHUJI** : That’s admirable.

**KATHERINE** : That’s fake.

**NORIKO** : It is fake! I agree. But I think it’s fake with a purpose. Surely all of you act in certain ways to achieve goals as well, right?

**FUMI** :  Katherine, you’re an actress! You’ve got to understand, right?

**KATHERINE** : I understand completely. You’re acting the way you think you should, but you’re not being true to yourself. All that junk about morality? You want to do bad things, that’s what that means. But acting like you’re some fucking paragon means you’re just lying.

**KYO** : But that opens an interesting discussion; what is the true self?

**KATHERINE** : Maybe it doesn’t exist. If you never act on your desires, maybe you’ll never find out who you really are.

**NORIKO** : What about someone who wishes to reform? Someone who has acted on their desires, and dislikes the outcome. Should they continue to act according to their base instincts?

**KATHERINE** : And live a lie? 

**NORIKO** : Hmm...I do see where you’re coming from. Lying is also wrong, and lying to yourself could be the ultimate lie.

**SHUJI** : Hold up. By this logic, to be a good person you just have to always think good thoughts and want good things. Shouldn’t goodness be decided based on actions?

**FUMI** : Well actions aren’t really black and white either, right?

**KYO** : Yeah. What if someone does something bad, but it has a good outcome? 

**NORIKO** : These are questions for priests, I’m just a knight. I enforce the good I know and punish the evil I see, and it’s all I can do for now.

**SHUJI** : I guess having a mission in life is pretty good, all things considered.

**KATHERINE** : Having a purpose blows. I’d rather have fun.

**FUMI** : Hence the drinking?

**KATHERINE** : Cheers!

_ She drains her glass and leaves to get another. _

**KYO** : I think that’s enough moral philosophy for this party.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I bet you don’t get a lot of discussions like this at your charity galas, huh?

**KYO** : You’d be surprised! People want to sound refined, especially because there are sometimes reporters listening in, so they’ll come up with any bullshit pseudo intellectual topic they can think of.

**FUMI** : Got any good ones?

_ Kyo holds their glass next to their head like Hamlet holding a skull and looks at it with faux speculation, pursing their lips and lifting their eyebrows. _

**KYO** : Animal abuse. Yes...or no? 

_ That gets a good laugh out of all of us. _

**NORIKO** : I hope everyone said no!

**KYO** : [Laughing.] Of course they did! Oh, wait, I’ve got another!

_ They get into their pose again, this time stroking their chin with their spare hand. _

**KYO** : War...what IS it good for?

**FUMI** : Don’t you love it when people pass off song lyrics as divine inspiration for conversation topics?

**SHUJI** : Does that come up a lot?

**FUMI** : I let people give me like, recommendations on what they want in their letters. But everyone says the same things. You’d think each of them believes they individually discovered Taylor Swift, and nobody else in Japan has heard of her.

**NORIKO** : I haven’t heard of her.

**KYO** : She’s American. I almost had her at one of my parties! 

**NORIKO** : Ah...I’m going to go out on a limb and say impressive!

_ I finish my drink.  _

_ The conversation descends into chatter about celebrities, trying to figure out one that Noriko has heard of. She can name legendary and ancient figures, but nobody that’s been around since television. _

_ Katherine never returns after getting her own drink, instead going to hang out with Miki and Isei, who appear to be trying to throw popcorn into each other’s mouths. Heiji is enthusiastically cheering them on. After a while, Fumi heads in that direction as well, making sure nobody chokes. _

_ There are still people in here I haven’t really talked to since the party started, so I wave to Kyo and Noriko and replenish my drink as I decide who to approach. _

_ Moving around the room, I realize that I’m tipsier than I had thought. I’ve never been a drinker, so it’s hitting me harder than I might have expected. Fortunately for me, I came into this with zero expectations! Score! _

_ There’s a group around the drinks, who I haven’t really engaged with yet. Yui is still hanging out as bartender, and Roxxy and Bo are with her. Looks like it’s time for two birds with one drink refill! _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Yui. Can I get a re-up on whatever this was?

**BO** : Does it have a name?

**SHUJI** : Er...I wasn’t told a name.

**YUI** : [Sighs, Laughs] I didn’t name it.

**ROXXY** : Name! It! Name! It!

_ Yui starts mixing juices with a very serious expression, and when the drink is done she holds it up to the light. _

**YUI** : I christen her...Tamako…

**SHUJI** : Tamako!

**BO** : Tamako!

**ROXXY** : [Cupping her hands around her mouth] TAMAKO!

_ All of us descend into laughter. Apparently we’ve all been drinking. _

**BO** : Now you’ve gotta drink her so Yui-sama makes another! She must breathe life into her creations!

**YUI** : You want me to blow on your drinks now? They’re not even hot.

**ROXXY** : If that’s what it takes to make them truly ALIVE!

**SHUJI** : Are you three performing dark magics on my drink?

**YUI** : Only the lightest of magics, I assure you. I ran out of drink names for these fairly early on in the wake, so I started going to human names. And now they’re my children.

_ I nod as if I follow that last point. _

**SHUJI** : So...will you be offended if I drink your children?

**BO** : Au contraire! If you drink them they fulfill their destinies and go to Valhalla.

**SHUJI** : Oh! And that’s a good thing for drinks?

**BO** : Would you deny Tamako her dreams?!

_ I shake my head now, feeling that that’s the appropriate thing to do, and raise my drink before drinking it. Her? Hmm. _

**ROXXY** : I think I’m ready for another one as well.

**YUI** : And you’re certain you have no interest in learning to do this yourself?

**ROXXY** : No offense but this has nothing to do with stage magic. Maybe dark magic, but not my jam. 

**YUI** : It’s got nothing to do with personal assisting either!

**SHUJI** : Yeah, that’s a good point. Why do you know how to do this?

**YUI** : I’ve always paid attention to the caterers et cetera, so I know...the ideas behind it. I simply picked it up on my own, I suppose.

**BO** : Liar.

**YUI** : Hey.

**BO** : Oh! Maybe I’m mistaken. This could be part of the magic, after all. I’ve heard that misdirection about the source of knowledge makes it harder for witches to steal your powers. Buuut...I did see you reading that bartending 101 book earlier. 

**YUI** : Psh...simply a refresher...naturally...

**ROXXY** : Are witches a real problem in France?

**BO** : Well, the illuminati has been using the Book of Solomon to enact dark magics throughout the internet and television for like, decades. So no, they’re not a France problem. It’s a world-wide problem.

**AIKA** : I was under the impression that the illuminati’s main goal was equality for all humans.

_ I hadn’t noticed her approach, but here she is. She’s seriously tottering, and leans unnaturally against the stage in an exaggeratedly relaxed posture. Her glasses are slipping down her nose, but not far enough for us to get any new information about her eyes. _

**BO** : Ah, another student in paranormal societies!

**AIKA** : I think the Templars are the real threat. If they’re gonna be fucking with anything they deem amoral due to their religious fanaticism, that’s a real fuckin’ problem.

**ROXXY** : What do the uh...Templars...believe is amoral that you’re like relating to here? Because if it’s turning people into frogs I think they’re right on this one. That seems bad.

**AIKA** : You’re an airhead, but an enthusiastic one. I’ll give you that. Don’t yall want superpowers?

**YUI** : I’d have the power of perfect memory…

**BO** : Ooh! I’d be able to breathe in no atmosphere! Then someone could shoot me out of a canon and I could just coast into the stars!

**AIKA** : Perfect memory already exists, that’s boring. And that other one is just unrealistic and fake. What about reading minds? Predicting the future?

**SHUJI** : Aren’t those just as fake as the other ones?

**AIKA** : Wrong. People can do incredible...just amazing things...when put under certain strains. Y’ever hear about moms lifting cars to protect stuff?

**YUI** : You mean to protect their children?

**AIKA** : Yup. Adrenaline response. Adrenaline comes from fear or excitement and is...very exploitable. Do you mind if I climb up on this stage?

**ROXXY** : Come to the stage family, Aika. We welcome you with open arms, even though you’re a little bit of a dick.

**AIKA** : I am that, I accept this. 

_ Aika spends the next three full minutes trying to worm her way onto the stage from where she’s standing. She’s not quite tall enough to just sit on it from a standing position, so she’s trying to lift herself up and sort of belly flop onto the stage, then belly crawl to the point where she can turn and sit.  _

_ We all watch in fascinated silence.  _

_ When she’s finally settled, she cheers for herself and drains whatever is in her flask. Impulsively, I clap for her effort, and the others join in in my applause. _

**ROXXY** : [Laughing.] I think we just witnessed proof of Aika’s supernatural abilities. That looked really hard.

**AIKA** : I spend all my time focusing on my mind...my body goes neglected...Woe…

_ We all laugh at her for a while. This is the most fun I’ve had talking to Aika possibly ever. I think we should show Noriko her antics as proof that drinking can be positive for the group, but the thought finds its way out of my head before I can really start to make any headway on accomplishing the plan. _

_ Instead, I point at Bo, who appears to be drinking some juice. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, you’re not old enough to drink. You’re only 17.

**BO** : None of us are old enough to drink.

**YUI** : Bo’s been on all juice all night, don’t worry.

**SHUJI** : Then why are you acting loopy?

**BO** : Fun company, I guess! 

_ There’s a dull thump as Aika sprawls on the stage, lying on her back with her arms flung out as if she’s about to make a snow angel. _

**AIKA** : Proximity drunk. Interestingly, proximity empathy is actually quite useful in studies. If one person is in pain, others also seem to feel it out of empathy, so I get twice as many valid results. My theory is that psychologically, pain is just as...you know...it’s...snnz…

_ Literally before our eyes, Aika falls asleep. Roxxy nudges her shoulders, but Aika is just totally a ragdoll right now. _

**ROXXY** : Wrow.

**YUI** : You’d think The Fey would punish her for falling asleep outside of her room.

**BO** : The Fey’s been weird lately. Remember that morning announcement?

**SHUJI** : I don’t really wanna think about it…

_ A shiver goes down my spine, but I just shake myself and take another drink. _

**ROXXY** : I think we should have a toast.

**YUI** : You burn all the toast you make.

**BO:** It’s true. I’ve seen you get distracted and walk off making toast like five times.

**ROXXY** : A toast. With drinking and clinking of glasses. Maybe a speech.

**YUI** : No speeches. I’ve heard enough corny ass speeches for a lifetime. Kyo’s parents love ‘em. Like it’s the only outlet they have for those expensive educations, fucking speeches.

**BO** : Wow, I never hear Yui-sama swear!

**YUI** : I didn’t swear.

**BO** : Did too!

**ROXXY** : No speeches then! But we should raise our glasses.

**YUI** : Why?

**SHUJI** : To Lani!

**ROXXY** : And Kata, I guess.

**SHUJI** : To all the people we’ve lost! 

**BO** : Let’s hope their spirits find rest! 

**YUI** : Let their memories be held forever. Let their legacies be good ones.

_ We raise our drinks solemnly, but lovingly, and clink them together so clumsily that we all spill a little on the stage, getting it thoroughly sticky, and we toss back whatever is left in our glasses. _

_ Roxxy, finishing her drink, looks forlornly at Aika’s supine form. _

**ROXXY** : Nuts, I’m sad she didn’t get to toast too.

**YUI** : Why? She’s really mean to most of us.

**ROXXY** : Yeah, but like, she wasn’t mean to Kata. I bet she’s really beat up about her only buddy being...you know…

**BO** : Well...she’s not waking up. I don’t think we can toast with her.

**ROXXY** : I’ve got it.

_ Roxxy takes her now empty glass, and puts it on Aika’s hand. She then takes a glass from the pile, and clinks it against the other one. _

**ROXXY** : Cheers!

**SHUJI** : Wow, I really expected the first glass to fall off.

**ROXXY** : No, that’d never happen. [Seriously.] I’m the master of balancing things.

**BO** : Prove it! Prove! It! Prove! It!

**YUI** : Prove! It!

_ Roxxy giggles, clearly glad for the attention, and takes the glass in her hand and places it on Aika’s head. Aika shifts and snorts in her sleep, but doesn’t wake or move enough to displace the glass. _

**YUI** : That does not seem that difficult.

**BO** : You try!

_ Apparently, Yui is not in a mood to refuse a challenge. She takes her own glass and places it on Aika’s torso. It wobbles for moment as Aika unconsciously mutters in response to the slight weight change, but it stays. _

_ Without thinking, I grab one of the remaining full bags of popcorn and place it carefully on Aika’s collarbone area. I nod solemnly as it fails to fall off of her immediately. _

**SHUJI** : I’m also the master of balancing. The...baron of balance...that’s me.

**BO** : I want to try!!

_ Bo looks around for an appropriate challenge, as cups and bags of popcorn are clearly passe, and ultimately settles on a half full bottle of alcohol. _

_ They focus, their hands perfectly still as they consider where to place it. I look around for a good spot as well, seeing that most of the prime real estate is already taken, trying to figure out where they’re going to go for. _

_ Gradually, slowly, as if by moving too quickly the whole mission could come undone, Bo places the bottle on Aika’s face. The wide bottom of the bottle takes up Aika’s entire mouth area, but it wobbles ferociously any time Aika shifts in her sleep. _

**SHUJI** : No…

**BO** : Yes!

**ROXXY** : The gravitas!

**YUI** : The recklessness!

**BO** : The genius…?

_ As if on cue, Aika shifts to roll over and the bottle teeters off of her face. Bo surges forward and catches it before it hits the stage and shatters, but we all erupt in laughter nonetheless. _

**ROXXY** : Wait, try again! This time put it on her nose!

**MIKI** : What are you clowns doing?

_ Roxxy poses with a bottle in hand, as if reaching for the stars. _

**ROXXY** : We. Are. Innovating!

**MIKI** : It looks like you’re stacking shit on Aika.

**YUI** : [Nodding seriously.] Indeed.

**BO** : Do you dare try to best the baron of balance?

**MIKI** : Oh absolutely.

**BO** : Wait, I’m gonna try to get it on her nose.

**MIKI** : Hold up I absolutely need a picture of this tomfoolery. Everybody pose.

_ We all cluster into frame as Miki takes out their phone to take a picture of us. Roxxy is behind Aika, kneeling with peace signs, while Yui takes up a spot next to her in a position of prayer. I simply sit cross legged with a goofy smile on my face next to Bo, who has the starring spot of attempting to balance a bottle on Aika’s nose. _

_ In a daring move, Bo turns the bottle upside down, depending on the narrow neck of it to suppose its weight. _

_ Miki is ready, and we all hold our breath as Bo releases their death grip on the bottle to see if it will stay in place. _

_ The flash goes off as we all gasp, seeing the bottle teeter. _

**BO** : I DID IT!

**SHUJI** : You are the baron!

**YUI** : Everyone kneel!

**ROXXY** : Bo! Bo! Bo! Bo!

**MIKI** : YEAHHH!!

_ All the hubbub draws more attention to us, and more people come over to see what’s happened. Bo’s hands hover protectively near the bottle, and we all watch with unmatched enthusiasm as we see how long it will last precariously perched on Aika’s nose. _

_ Unfortunately, the hoots and hollers of excited onlookers threatens to stir Aika from her slumber. She begins to shift again, worming around, and the bottle immediately slips off of its unconventional pedestal and onto the stage with a crash. _

**NORIKO** : What on earth is going on?!

**MIKI** : It’s called fun, you wouldn’t understand.

**KATHERINE** : Noriko tragically lost all of the organs that produce the fun chemicals in some sort of accident...Tragic…

**FUMI** : You said tragic twice.

**HEIJI** : For poetic purpose, no doubt.

**ISEI** : Is Aika okay?

**BO** : Haha, wow, that’s a lot of glass.

**AIKA** : Aika’s...okay...if a little damp...Is this tequila?

**ROXXY** : She’s awake!

**PV** : She lives!

**AIKA** : I think it’s tequila…

**NORIKO** : Okay, I think Aika needs to get to bed.

_ Noriko gets onto the stage and picks Aika up, throwing her over her shoulders effortlessly. _

**AIKA** : Wow…

**KYO** : Our first casualty…

**FUMI** : I’m tired.

_ As soon as Fumi admits weakness, I feel exhaustion crash over me like a wave.  _

**SHUJI** : What time is it?

**ISEI** : Time for bed…

**MIKI** : Thank god. I’m exhausted.

_ There’s more murmurs of agreement, and people start to leave to head down to our rooms. Despite, or perhaps because of, how tired I am, I stay leaning on the stage to watch people go. Katherine and Miki leave together, predictably. Heiji takes off on his own, ricocheting off of the doorway on his way out. Kyo leaves with PV, chattering loudly about the party being a success, and Isei tails them closely. Noriko returns from delivering Aika to safety only to playfully pick Yui up off of the ground to carry her to her room as well. Yui goes red in the face, and is far too pleased by this, giggling the whole way down. Roxxy clearly is inspired by this, and carries Fumi out bridal style soon afterwards. _

_ After a while it’s just me, sitting in a dim room with an empty glass in my hands. My head swims as I realize I’m alone, and I try to shake myself free of the mental cobwebs that have built up.  _

_ I’ve got to go to bed. _

_ Before I leave the theatre, I turn to look at the mess we’ve made and I smile. _

**SHUJI** : This was for you, Lani and Kata. Cheers.

_ By the time I get down the first flight of stairs in the dark house, I realize that this place is super scary at night. It’s mostly silent, with the occasional creaks that any decent house makes. Intoxicated and very tired, all rational explanations for anything flies out the window, and I’m left with a pounding heart as I make my way to the bottom floor. _

_ I stand in the foyer, trying to make as little sound as possible for fear of waking some vengeful ghosts, and it’s only now that the possibility of literally being murdered occurs to me. I freeze, unable to move forward as my mind races with possibilities. _

_ Nobody would hurt me, right? Not after that. Nobody would… _

_ I hear creaking from the direction of the dining room. It sounds like a shuffling walk, disturbing the floorboards enough to alert me to its presence, but not enough to go any distance anytime quickly. I turn my head in the direction, struggling to hear over the sound of my beating heart. _

CRASH!

_ Without thinking, I run the opposite direction. I am not willing to die to see if something fell over in the kitchen. I am not rational enough to dismiss the idea that it could absolutely be a monster, either, so I sprint into my room and slam the door behind me. _

_ As soon as I’m in my well lit bedroom, I start to calm down. _

_ That was probably nothing, right? There hasn’t been a motive, so nobody would kill. Plus, who is even in a state to kill anyone right now? Someone probably put a dish away poorly and it teetered off of a shelf.  _

_ Or, even if that wasn’t true, this house is currently full of drunk teenagers. One of them scavenging in the kitchen isn’t weird. _

_ That makes sense. _

_ That sounds rational. _

_ Before I can second guess myself, I collapse into bed and fall seamlessly into blissful sleep. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of the rest of the chapter:  
> After Roxxy enters with drinks, the group Shuji is hanging out with generally splits up. Shuji goes to hang out with Noriko, Kyo, Katherine, and Fumi. They discuss if drinking is wise, and then mostly tease Fumi for having a crush on Roxxy. From there, the conversation descends into philosophy about identity and honesty until it devolves into talking about Taylor Swift.
> 
> After that, Shuji goes to hang out with another group of people. Yui, Bo, and Roxxy have been mixing drinks for people, and they are very silly at this point. Aika approaches, and is friendlier than usual. She tries to talk about her science, but ultimately falls asleep. Thus starts the game of stacking things on top of her.
> 
> Miki comes over and takes a picture of Aika absolutely covered in cups, bottles, and packages of popcorn right before one of the bottles falls and breaks, waking Aika up.
> 
> At this point the party pretty much ends, with people leaving in groups. Shuji leaves last, and is startled by crashing sounds coming from the kitchen. Since he's a smart boy he just goes to his room. None of his business.
> 
> And that's it!
> 
> I want to thank all of you for reading! If you're up to date, I really recommend going back and rereading the entire prologue, because last week I updated it to be a lot better. You already know the characters and everything, but there's new jokes! So that's fun!
> 
> Next update should be on CHRISTMAS EVE! Wow!


	29. Chapter Three: Panic (6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free time! Shuji spends time with Katherine, Fumi, and Yui, and learns something about one of his dead peers in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas! Or, if you don't celebrate, happy...uh...corn update? Hanukkah is already over so that's what I've got. Happy Corn Time!
> 
> This is genuinely one of my favorite chapters I've written so far so I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I was laughing so hard I nearly cried writing some of it.

**THE FEY:** It’s 7 AM, and time to--who’s there? Don’t you feel it? Something crawling...scratching...

_The transmission ends abruptly after a long pause, and I’m left staring at my ceiling with a dehydration headache and blurry vision._

_So. That was weird, right? I know logically The Fey does a lot of freaky shit with full intent to set us on edge to facilitate the killing game, but this just seems…_

_Well, who am I to say something is out of character for that thing?_

_I get out of bed, surprised at how little pain I’m in. And I thought hangovers were supposed to be awful. That said, I do spend a pretty significant amount of time in the shower leaning against the wall under the hot water before I feel fully recovered._

_Once dry and dressed, I head out in a better mood than I’ve been in for a while. Yes, things are dark and dangerous. But last night we really got a feeling of camaraderie that can’t be taken away easily._

_The hallways are empty, which I’m assuming means everyone decided to stay in bed for a little bit longer this morning. I head to the kitchen and get myself a glass of water in peaceful silence, looking around as I try to remember something._

_Something about the kitchen, maybe?_

_Everything seems to be in place, and I’m not really feeling up to the emotional energy it takes to be paranoid right now. I wonder what it is that I’m trying to think of, though…_

_Either way, I start making myself some breakfast. By the time the eggs hit the plate, people are shuffling in. Katherine, Miki, Yui, and Heiji all come in and start rummaging through the fridge separately. I greet them probably a little bit too cheerily, pouring myself some juice, and get a few mumbles responses._

_As I sit down to eat my very buttery breakfast and drink my juice, some of the morning crowd gets into seats as well. I should choose one of them to talk to, I think. More than one might be overwhelming._

**[SELECT: Katherine]**

**SHUJI** : Hey, you holding up alright?

 **KATHERINE** : Mmprh.

 **SHUJI** : Whatcha eating? Something good?

 **KATHERINE** : ‘S moffing.

_I raise my eyebrows, and she actually finishes chewing and swallowing._

**KATHERINE** : It’s a muffin. Tastes like it’s from a grocery store. It’s okay.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah it’s kindof a shame we don’t have a Hope’s Peak graduated Baker among us.

 **KATHERINE** : We could. I never heard your talent, actually.

 **SHUJI** : I’m pretty sure it’s not baking. I prefer my kitchen experiences to have more room for error.

 **KATHERINE** : Pretty sure? Like you don’t know?

 **SHUJI** : Right, not everyone was there for that conversation. I don’t know what my talent is.

 **KATHERINE** : Oh. I assumed you were reserve course.

 **SHUJI** : Assumed I was what?

 **KATHERINE** : You know, the group of people so desperate to be recognized by the world they pay tuition to attend good ol’ H-P-A. No invite, just fistfuls of cash.

 **SHUJI** : That doesn’t sound like me. Mostly the fistfuls of cash part.

 **KATHERINE** : I think it’s a little pathetic, personally. If someone can’t gain recognition through their own...merits...or whatever, trying to buy it? That’s just sad.

 **SHUJI** : Well maybe it’s like...you know, paying for acting lessons or something?

 **KATHERINE** : It’s just a normal school. They don’t teach you how to be incredible. They didn’t teach us anything too special, or we’d remember it, right?

 **SHUJI:** I don’t know about pathetic, still. If anything I think it might be exploitative of the school, just taking their money and not helping them achieve their dreams.

 **KATHERINE** : I just don’t see the point.

_Katherine takes another bite of misshapen muffin, and I do the same of my eggs._

**SHUJI** : The point of what?

 **KATHERINE** : Trying so hard to be something you’re not. If you’re not a famous baker, why try to be a famous baker? Why not just...love baking, and have it be enough?

 **SHUJI** : That reminds me of something you said earlier. You said the point of life was love, beyond everything else.

 **KATHERINE** : It’s true.

 **SHUJI** : Can you explain that to me? I’m on board with love and all, but I want to hear your perspective.

 **KATHERINE** : Love...is the only motivator when nothing else is left. Love for your craft, love for your family, love for your partner. If you have love, then money and fame don’t matter anymore. Without love, you become cold.

_This point of view really makes sense in the face of Katherine’s usually icy persona being broken up by Miki’s affection, but I don’t just want to call her out like that._

**SHUJI** : That must be why you’re so good at acting, right? Because you love it!

 **KATHERINE** : ...Yeah.

 **SHUJI** : But, couldn’t you argue that wanting to learn and grow is a form of love? It sounds like self love, to me.

 **KATHERINE** : Self love?

 **SHUJI** : Yeah. Did I say something dumb?

 **KATHERINE** : I don’t...It’s complicated to love yourself. But maybe.

 **SHUJI** : I hear that. If your parents don’t teach you how to prioritize yourself, it can be really hard learning to take care of yourself.

 **KATHERINE** : [Angry] What’s your problem? Why are you saying all this self help garbage?

_Her tone shifts to accusatory faster than I can take it in. I blink, lifting my hands defensively without thinking._

**SHUJI** : I didn’t mean anything by it! It’s just stuff I’m still working on, you know?

 **KATHERINE** : You think I need some kind of therapeutic preaching? Like, I’m that pathetic? Please. I can handle myself.

 **SHUJI** : Katherine! I’m--uh--sorry? I didn’t mean to offend you.

 **KATHERINE** : Just shut up and eat your eggs. Don’t talk about my fucking parents.

 **SHUJI** : Wait, I won’t talk about your parents. I promise. What’s going on?

_Katherine stands, glaring, but after a moment there’s an element of uncertainty on her face. She seems to wobble back and forth, looking back and forth between me and the door. Gradually, like an animal unsure if the hand proffered might hit them, she sits back down._

**KATHERINE** : You’re not...a dick. You’re a nice person. Even Miki thinks so, and they don’t like to trust people.

 **SHUJI** : I’m glad to hear it. Are you okay?

 **KATHERINE** : [Stiffly] I’m fine.

 **SHUJI** : Okay. We don’t have to talk about it.

 **KATHERINE** : My parents suck.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah, same.

 **KATHERINE** : Really? I assumed...I don’t know. You seem well adjusted.

 **SHUJI** : I try. Like, really hard, all the time.

 **KATHERINE** : Huh...well. I don’t want to talk about it.

 **SHUJI** : Okay.

_I take a sip of juice, unsure what to say._

**KATHERINE** : They really pushed me into acting as a kid. It was all I was good for, but it made them so proud. They really loved me, and each other.

_Okay, I guess she does want to talk about it. Alright then._

**SHUJI** : Did that change?

 **KATHERINE** : Yeah. I...you know, I haven’t acted in a while. When I started sucking, or whatever, my parents started to suck too. They fought, a lot, and then split up.

 **SHUJI** : How old were you?

 **KATHERINE** : I don’t know. 12, maybe 13? Anyway it became very clear that their love was pretty conditional. So I did what I could to meet their conditions, and it still wasn’t enough. They suck.

 **SHUJI** : So your self love is conditional too? You feel like you’ve gotta earn it?

 **KATHERINE** : Maybe. I feel bad loving...anything...without something in exchange. If I can’t give myself anything, why should I love myself?

 **SHUJI** : I don’t have answers. Do you love Miki?

 **KATHERINE** : Yes. Endlessly.

 **SHUJI** : What do they do for you?

 **KATHERINE** : They don’t ask anything of me.

 **SHUJI** : Well, okay, I’ve got an easy solution. Stop asking things of yourself. Right? Go easy on yourself for a bit and things might shake out to be better.

 **KATHERINE** : …

 **SHUJI** : …

 **KATHERINE** : ...You said your parents suck too?

 **SHUJI** : You want me to get into it?

 **KATHERINE** : I did it.

 **SHUJI** : Fair. They found out I was trans. I was out to friends, but not family, and someone mentioned it to their parents who mentioned it to mine. I got kicked out.

 **KATHERINE** : Fuck em.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah.

 **KATHERINE** : Are you okay?

 **SHUJI** : I don’t know. It feels like all of our problems from before are a little petty now. You know? Like people died, and I’m here mad that my mom is a jerk.

 **KATHERINE** : ...I guess it’s perspective.

 **SHUJI** : God, at what cost?

_Katherine cracks a dim smile, and I smile back. My eggs are finished, and her muffin has been scrunched into an unrecognizable ball, so breakfast seems mostly finished. I offer to take her plate to the kitchen, but she comes with me instead._

**KATHERINE** : Thanks for listening.

 **SHUJI** : It’s easy, honestly. Does Miki know about all of this?

 **KATHERINE** : Yeah. If it weren’t for them I probably wouldn’t have told you. I like to bottle shit up. It works.

 **SHUJI** : I get it. It’s hard to talk about big stuff, and if you haven’t felt anything about it in a while sometimes it comes out bigger than you mean.

 **KATHERINE** : Ugh...yeah. It’s pathetic.

 **SHUJI** : Hey, Katherine? You’re not pathetic. You’re a human person with feelings and problems. Am I pathetic for having those?

 **KATHERINE** : ...Yes.

 **SHUJI** : Ouch!

 **KATHERINE** : Pfft...sorry. I don’t know how I feel about you. Miki...trusts you. So I’m trying to trust you too.

 **SHUJI** : I’ll try to deserve it.

 **KATHERINE** : You’d better.

_I stay behind and do the dishes while Katherine leaves to check on Miki, giving me time to think through the conversation. Everyone here sure seems to have a lot of baggage, but it’s like Katherine said; being here grants us some perspective. If that’s the silver lining to this horrible shit, I guess I’ll have to take it._

_I don’t know what I would have expected, dealing with a bunch of hyper-talented teenagers. We all must have been pushed into this extremity by our parents in some way. That leaves baggage whether you want it or not._

_I’m left trying to figure out what my talent might be. What was I pushed to? My parents didn’t micromanage me as a kid or anything. I made okay grades, but nothing to write home about. Maybe my talent came from after I was kicked out. Homelessness is definitely the sort of adversity that might push someone to being really good at something._

_How did that get resolved, anyway? I suppose I could have been living in the HPA dorms, but how does one mail an acceptance letter to someone without an address?_

_I shake my head, and dry my hands. No solutions here, either._

_Leaving the kitchen and dining room, I realize that I have no plan for today. I could always go to the library and read more about coasters, but I think I might literally die of boredom if I do that. Still, the library does have a lot of options for entertainment...I end up heading there anyway._

_It’s not as empty as I expected, however!_

**SHUJI** : Hey, Fumi!

_Fumi nearly jumps up from her seat in front of one of the computers._

**FUMI** : Huh? What? I wasn’t doing anything.

 **SHUJI** : Ohh...kay...Is whatever you’re not doing fun, at least? I kinda want to pass some time.

 **FUMI** : Oh, I don’t know about fun...It’s embarrassing.

_If this were a shittier story, this is where someone would probably assume she was looking at something dirty. Thankfully, this story is dedicated to a higher quality of life for its characters and its standards for jokes._

_I walk behind her to see what’s on her screen, now intensely curious, and she doesn’t move to hide it._

**SHUJI** : This just looks like a dating sim.

 **FUMI** : It could be called an artform, dedicated to uh...romance and human interaction...and...uhh…

 **SHUJI** : It’s okay to like dating games, Fumi.

 **FUMI** : I know! I just think it might seem weird. All of the games on these computers are Kata’s.

 **SHUJI** : Oh man, I actually forgot about that.

 **FUMI** : Yeah, he didn’t really talk about his talent often. I asked him about it once, I’ve always been a fan of the games, and he just...didn’t really react.

 **SHUJI** : Still, they must’ve been important to him if they were his talent.

 **FUMI** : [Nods] I thought so as well. But I’ve played all of these before, so I’m not sure what I’m really going to get out of playing them now…

 **SHUJI** : Do you think you could learn more about him? Like as a person, or as an artist?

 **FUMI** : Oh! That hadn’t even occurred to me! I was just thinking of like...homage, I guess. But since I’ve already played them so much, there’s already so much previous association. I don’t think I’ll get anywhere with this.

 **SHUJI** : Well...I haven’t played any of them. I think that might be interesting.

 **FUMI** : It could! Maybe you’ll gain a new understanding!

 **SHUJI:** That sure sounds nice. Do you have an idea of where I should start?

 **FUMI** : [Pushing up her glasses] Would you like to start chronologically at his earliest work, or just do a quick Best Of Flyby of all of his most popular works? There is, of course, the so-called Machete style of playing, in which you start with his three most recent games, then cut back to his second release, and then back to his fifth--this one supposedly has the greatest narrative flow so I can’t imagine that you would simply want to neglect this--

 **SHUJI** : Fumi. I just want to play one game. I might not even finish it.

 **FUMI** : [Deflating slightly.] Oh, right. Okay. Do you want to date girls or boys?

 **SHUJI** : I don’t really care. Either is fine.

 **FUMI** : I usually only play the ones with girls for obvious reasons, but I did play a few for some research with boys!

_I sit down next to her and boot up the computer while she regales me with the pros and cons of the handful of the games revolving around men that she’s familiar with. As these games are primarily marketed at straight women, I quickly learn most of the protagonists are women, which doesn’t really appeal to me. Looking through the large collection of his games, we settle on one of three potential games where you play as a boy who can romance eithers boys or girls._

**SHUJI** : This is a little surprisingly progressive.

 **FUMI** : Why? Kata was always kindof a jerk, but I didn’t see him as a bigot.

 **SHUJI** : Good point, he never did anything outright terrible.

 **FUMI** : He wore way too many floral prints to be a completely straight man, too.

 **SHUJI** : [Nodding.] Okay, I think I’m gonna play this one.

_Fumi leans in to see which one I’m indicating._

**FUMI** : Got a thing for cowboys?

 **SHUJI** : Not like a specific...like I don’t have a fetish or anything.

 **FUMI** : Relax, I’m not Aika. I think cowgirls are cute, if that counts.

 **SHUJI** : They are cute. People who are good with animals are cute, that’s just the law.

 **FUMI** : Agreed! Let’s see, I played this one a little bit because your protagonist can romance girls too...It’s very American themed.

 **SHUJI** : Sounds fun!

 **FUMI** : I think it won a few awards for the story! It’s one of the more inclusive games, too. Your protagonist is customizable, which is very fun.

 **SHUJI** : Okay! I’m ready to play.

 **FUMI** : I think I’ll replay Sweet Circuit while you’re playing Heart Acre! It’s about a bunch of girls working on a race track!

_I get settled in and boot up the game. The title screen is a pastoral scene of long fields only broken up with sparse trees as windbreaks and a distant farmhouse to provide scale. It moves across my screen as if being blown by a gentle wind, and I’m treated to the opportunity to make a new save._

_Well, the UI is already pretty good. I can say that much at least._

_I spend a surprising 20 minutes on character creation, making a character that looks suitably like me, before getting into the game. I’m told that I am new on the ranching scene, but fortunately there’s a group of men (and one woman) to help me get settled in._

_It all seems pretty silly to start with. I’ve never been one for this genre of game, so I approach it with a little bit of a tongue in cheek mentality. Despite this, I can still tell that the art and design is very good. Only the finest rendered pixels for_ this _cowboy’s ass._

_I should just get over myself. If I’m expecting some kind of connection with or understanding of Kata from his work, I can’t be making fun of it in my head. I crack my knuckles and lean forward, paying closer attention to the choices I’m making._

_The characters move shockingly realistically. They all seem to have individual subtle quirks in their movement and dialects, which strikes me as increasingly charming as I go. Karl Dandelton, for example,  toys nervously with the bandana around his neck whenever he’s asked to do something he’s unfamiliar with. Frank Bobson bobs up and down excitedly when given an opportunity to show off, but seems not to value his own safety. Angelica Corduroy chews on her long ponytail when she thinks nobody is looking. The eldest cowboy, Lloyd Tumble, with streaks of silver through his hair, is stern but chews on his lip to indicate shyness._

_Too late, I realize that this isn’t the type of dating sim where you get to make a clear and obvious choice about who to pursue. I end up on Karl Dandelton’s route before I realize it, but I don’t mind. I only figure out that I’m actually on his route when he offers me his iconic blue bandana for luck before a big rodeo. It’s really sweet._

_Before too long, I’m already pretty wrapped up in the story. The minigames are challenging but satisfying, but the real high point is the story. Once I’m committed to Karl’s track, I start learning how complex the choices in the game truly are. He’s nervous about being pushed to do new things, so it’s easy to net disapproval with him by pushing him out of his comfort zone. Still, I realize early on that if you keep him perfectly comfortable the whole time, he starts to get stuck in a rut as far as his trick riding goes._

_So I start nudging him a bit, and while I rack in disapproval points at first, once he wins the tri-county competition, it’s like all of it fades away. There’s such a sense of real victory as my character is swooped up into his arms, and thanked for understanding that sometimes people need to be pushed._

_I thought the game would end there, but it doesn’t. My fictional relationship with Karl continues to grow as I figure out what needs of his my character can fulfill, but am chided for attempting to take care of him or micro manage him too much. Sometimes, he ignores my character’s suggestions altogether. It’s a really interesting display of autonomy from a dating sim character._

_I can feel that the ending of the game is coming soon. My character is all set up to participate in the final rodeo, and there’s a sense of longing and regret in every cutscene. My time with Karl is about to be over._

**KARL DANDELTON** : I reckon after this you’ll be movin’ on to the big city leagues.

_He tucks his hat over his eyes, but I can still see them shimmering with tears._

**[Player Character]** : That’s right, I forgot that I was only supposed to stay to watch the ranch for the summer…

 **KARL DANDELTON** : Your grandpappy probably wouldn’t be too happy ‘bout you abandonin’ your whole life to live out in the sticks with us, would he?

_He looks away, squinting into the sunset._

**KARL DANDELTON** : O’course...if you wanted...you could stay with me…

>>Stay with Karl?<<

Go back to the city?

_It’s a no brainer decision, of course._

**[Player Character]** : You think I could just abandon you?

_Karl looks shocked, the very suggestion of a smile playing about his lips._

**KARL DANDELTON:** What about your friends? Your job? You were the best radio journalist in New York…

_My character reaches forward and gently touches his face._

**[Player Character]** : My life is with you now. You mean more to me than anyone ever has. You’re my partner, partner.

 **FUMI** : Shuji? Are you crying?

_Oh my God I’m totally crying._

**KARL DANDELTON** : You mean it? You wanna stay here with li’l ol’ me?

_This is a test. If I’m too straightforward with my comforting, he’ll feel like I’m babying him. But I know Karl, and I know how to make him feel loved._

>>Tease<<

Comfort

 **[Player Character]** : If I leave, who’s gonna make sure you win the next competition? It’s not much of a trophy shelf with just one trophy now is it?

_They hug, then kiss deeply before the credits roll._

**FUMI** : Are you...alright?

_I wipe my eyes with my sleeves._

**SHUJI** : That was a really good game.

_I gently place my head on the table in front of my keyboard. Fumi nervously pats my back._

**FUMI** : Is this your first time beating a dating sim?

 **SHUJI** : Uh-huh.

 **FUMI** : Did you like the game?

 **SHUJI** : Uh-huh.

 **FUMI** : Wanna play it again? You can try for another route?

 _I sit up abruptly. Irrationally, my brain snarls at her. And abandon Karl like that? After all we’ve been through together? How_ dare _she?!_

_But I get it together pretty fast. I shake my head and run a hand through my hair wearily._

**SHUJI** : I think I’m good for now. How long have I been playing?

 **FUMI** : Oh, only a few hours. Hmm...maybe eight or so?

 **SHUJI** : Talk about a video game driven fugue state…

 **FUMI** : Yeah, the Kata Ama games in particular are hard to detangle yourself from. I’ve only actually played one route in Heart Acre, though, since there’s only one girl. What was this route like?

_I spend the next twenty entire minutes regaling her with the love story of my unnamed player character and Karl Dandelton. I tear up again at the end, but she does a good deed and pretends not to notice. Next, she tells me about the girl she romanced in Sweet Circuit._

_By the time we’re both done, we’re exhausted from having played video games pretty much all day. We say goodbye, glad to have found a new thing in common, and go to our separate suites._

* * *

 

 **THE FEY** : Rise and shine! It’s now 7 AM and I’m a fucking maniac! Someone is behind this. Behind me! Behind--zzrt!

_Yeah, these morning announcements are not getting more fun._

_I get ready for the day, and make myself a quick breakfast. Another day another dollar, right? No, not right. I’m kidnapped and there’s not a lot to do._

_I better pick an activity to keep me sane today. Or, you know, the alternative isn’t great._

**[Select: Game Room]**

_On a whim, I decide to head for the Game Room in the hopes that there’s something to keep me occupied that won’t result in me dreaming about cowboys. Not that I disliked the cowboy dreams! They just have a time and a place. It would be too much to handle to have all those cowboy dreams one after another, you know?_

_I rummage through the games for a while, trying to settle on something to play. Unfortunately, not many of these are meant for someone to play alone. I sit back on my haunches and sigh, looking at the game shelves with vague disappointment._

**YUI** : Are you looking for a game?

_I nearly fall backwards in surprise, but I manage to scramble to my feet with only a little bit of embarrassment. Yui is standing in the doorway, a thick book in her hand, with an eyebrow arched._

**SHUJI** : It is kinda what this room is for, right?

 **YUI** : You won’t have much luck with those. The single player games are all far to the left, see?

_She gestures, and I look. Sure enough, there do seem to be some games that one could play alone. I turn back to her after perusing a little bit, not really finding anything interesting, to find her rummaging through the game manuals shelf._

**SHUJI** : What are you looking for?

 **YUI** : Kyo has tasked me with doing some preliminary research for the game they’re planning.

 **SHUJI** : Are you getting, like, paid while you’re in here?

 **YUI** : Hm? Why?

 **SHUJI** : Well, it seems like you’re working. As in, your job. Shouldn’t you get paid?

 **YUI** : [Smiling.] I’m sure I could be compensated once we escape. But really? This just gives me something to do. It almost feels like Kyo is doing me a favor.

 **SHUJI** : Is there a deadline on this project?

 **YUI** : Not really. Kyo’s almost settled on everything, and just needs help with outcomes that are harder to predict on their end. I am very good at predicting catastrophes.

 **SHUJI** : I believe that. Must come with the job.

 **YUI** : Yes.

 **SHUJI** : You know, I don’t really know a lot about you. Why don’t we hang out? We could play a game?

 **YUI** : ...Yes. Okay. Which one?

_I go back over to the multiplayer section and grab a candy colored one that looks very easy. The kind of game you can chat without really losing out on the game experience. I slap it down on the table and it rattles promisingly._

**SHUJI** : Snakes and Ladders?

_Yui’s brow knits briefly before she sits down._

**YUI** : Let’s begin.

_We take the game out of the box and set it up. Wow, it’s been quite a while since I’ve played this, but Yui seems pretty confident. She deftly sets up the board and dice and moves it to a medium space between the two of us._

**SHUJI** : Haha, okay! Let’s start!

_I roll a die, and move forward three spaces toward a ladder which my piece climbs._

**YUI** : My turn.

_Yui picks up the die, and narrows her eyes. She hums slightly, and her eyes flick back up to me. Involuntarily, I gulp. She turns back to the board, licks her lips, and rolls the die. She looks at me. I squint at the board._

_Why isn’t she moving?_

_She squints at me._

_Why aren’t we talking?_

_Panicked, I look at her die._

_She gets a three._

_We look at each other._

_She moves her piece three places, with long pauses in between. I can feel sweat forming between my shoulder blades._

**YUI** : Your turn.

_I gulp again._

_Now it’s my turn to furrow my brow. She did that so intentionally; there must be reason behind it. Yui isn’t the type to engage in silly antics just to confuse me. It_ has _been a while since I’ve played the game. Is there a strategy element I’ve entirely forgotten about?_

_Okay, so, you roll the die. No! I’m being too hasty!_

_I look at Yui. She’s watching me intently._

_So, if I get a six I can continue to rise toward the top. A two and a four will have no impact on my position, but getting a five could slide me back down. This has to be important. Is there a way to change how the die lands? It’s chance...right?_

_I go out on a limb and roll the die._

_A two._

_I look at Yui. She’s staring at the board with an expression so focused it could cut glass._

_I move two spaces and cough._

**SHUJI** : Your turn.

 **YUI** : Hmm...yes…

_It begins again._

_My mouth is dry._

_I’ve never had less fun playing a board game, but here I am. Stuck in a mortal battle between Yui and I, with Snakes & Ladders being our final battleground and resting place. _

_Is this the torture The Fey designed this house for? It’s a murder manor only in name, the true meaning of this place is Snakes & Ladders based sadism. We’re being watched on camera, sweating and toiling over a children’s board game that I can’t remember the rules too. A Sisyphean punishment for a crime I can’t remember, maybe? _

_All I know is that when death claims me, it will be sweet release from whatever bullshit I’m currently engaging in._

**YUI** : It’s your turn.

_She seems satisfied with whatever decision she ultimately has come to, which I failed to witness because I was too busy trying not to fall into utter despair. If The Fey planned this, she’s more insidious than I’d even imagined._

_I can’t do it._ _  
_

_I can’t bear this any longer._

**SHUJI** : So what’s your deal?

_Yui raises an eyebrow. I don’t blame her; that came out a lot louder than any reasonable person could expect. I’m panicking. I don’t care anymore._

**YUI** : My deal?

 **SHUJI** : Being a personal assistant. How does somebody get into that business? Is it fun? Do you like it?

_I’m really grasping at conversational straws here, but I fear truly going mad with this infernal game. It’s even got me thinking in extremely dramatic metaphor. Sometimes you just gotta draw the line._

_Yui leans back in her seat, looking thoughtful._

**YUI** : A fair question, I suppose. To be honest, I didn’t ‘get into it’ as you said with any intention of picking a career.

 **SHUJI** : It came from being friends with Kyo, right?

 **YUI** : Exactly. They saved my life as a child, and I wanted to do anything I could to pay it back. It wasn’t long after they saved me that they threw their first party. I did what I could to help.

 **SHUJI** : Why throw a party? Was it one of the charity galas, when you guys were kids?

 **YUI** : It wasn’t a charity benefit. It was a celebration! For me, I suppose. A victory for Kyo, as well.

 **SHUJI** : They made you help with a party in your honor?

 **YUI** : Don’t think they’re some kind of villain in my story. I practically begged to help. My parents were poor, and I could not afford many extracurriculars as far as clubs--there were always fees or costs for uniforms--and Kyo was my first friend.

 **SHUJI** : I was under the impression Kyo went to a fancy private school.

 **YUI** : They did. We did. My parents chose to send me to a nice school so that I could get the education I needed. With a poorly funded school, I was stagnating. They knew I was smart, and had a future. I owe everything to them for that. And I owe everything to Kyo for giving me a job to do.

 **SHUJI** : Did you feel out of place, being a poor kid in a fancy school?

 **YUI** : Are you asking for my entire life story while we play this game, Shuji?

 **SHUJI** : [Shrugs.] Not really. I’m just curious.

 **YUI** : I will answer, only if you answer some of my questions.

_How does she turn everything into a game of social life or death? Just when I was recovering from the trauma of playing this game, too._

**SHUJI** : Sure. Sounds fair.

 **YUI** : Yes, I felt out of place. My uniform was second-hand. I felt the need to overperform in order to earn my place there, which got me a firm reputation as a nerd. I didn’t have time for socializing, because I needed to ensure my parents hadn’t wasted their money.

 **SHUJI** : So Kyo gave you a social thing to do, while making you feel more like you fit in?

 **YUI** : Kyo was enormously popular. But you can ask them about that. It’s my turn.

 **SHUJI** : Go ahead.

 **YUI** : Tell me about your childhood. Tit for tat.

 **SHUJI** : Ugh, okay. I had a pretty basic upbringing. We were lower middle class, I guess. My parents worked a lot. We had a dog. His name was Marco. I took care of him. I don’t have any siblings.

 **YUI** : How unremarkable.

 **SHUJI** : Yeah. I don’t really make being normal a character trait for myself or anything but there isn’t anything cool that went on for most of my childhood. I mostly got A’s in school, but I’m pretty bad at English. I wasn’t allowed to date, so I didn’t. I was a good kid.

 **YUI** : I don’t believe you.

 **SHUJI** : What?

 **YUI** : You don’t end up at Hope’s Peak as a completely average individual. Did you have a job? Anything?

 **SHUJI** : I worked a few jobs, but those weren’t until more recently. Is it my turn yet?

 **YUI** : Hmm. Fine.

 **SHUJI** : Is being a personal assistant rewarding? It seems like you’re smart enough you could just be doing what Kyo does on your own.

 **YUI** : I lack charisma.

 **SHUJI** : Arguable. I like you.

 **YUI** : [Irritated.] Being liked is not the same thing as having charm. My duties are to support, and I enjoy that.

 **SHUJI** : Okay. Why?

 **YUI** : What Kyo does would be impossible for me. Entertaining an entire group of fussy people all day...It’s like working in a daycare. My duties are not to placate and entertain rich sycophants. Kyo gives me challenges to solve, and I solve them.

 **SHUJI** : Like puzzles?

 **YUI** : In a way. They give me impossible, monumental tasks, and tell me to accomplish them. Every time I do, their respect for me grows.

 **SHUJI** : Do you still feel like you have to earn their respect? Aren’t you friends?

 **YUI** : We’ll always be friends, and we’ll always love each other. But we won’t respect each other the same way if we don’t push ourselves or each other. Kyo believes in me. And sometimes I fetch the dry cleaning as a break.

 **SHUJI** : So you’re given these horrible challenges, and also still have to do menial stuff?

 **YUI** : I don’t mean to mislead you. Getting the dry cleaning or negotiating with the caterers isn’t menial for me. It’s still a spiderweb of timing and schedules, it’s just a bit of a breather compared to dealing with whatever gargantuan problem has presented itself in dealing with the parties. It’s actually why I enjoy working for Kyo more than other people.

 **SHUJI** : You’ve worked for other people than Kyo?

 **YUI** : It’s my turn to ask a question now, actually.

 **SHUJI** : [Sighs.] Okay.

 **YUI** : What high school did you attend before Hope’s Peak Academy? What was its name?

_Good question._

_I scratch my head, readjusting my ponytail, trying to remember. Any memory I might have of high school slips from my brain like an eel._

_I furrow my brows._

_I remember a classroom. I remember a window. I remember a kind teacher’s face, but only just._

**SHUJI** : I don’t remember.

 **YUI** : Hmm. More of your memory problems?

 **SHUJI** : Yeah.

 **YUI** : I had hoped that I could find something about the high school in the library, since there are some yearbooks in there, and maybe whatever clubs you were in might inform me of what your talent might be.

 **SHUJI** : You’re doing all that research for me?

 **YUI** : If you had the forethought to do it yourself, I wouldn’t have to. But your memory issues are a...challenge. You understand.

 **SHUJI** : I think you should talk to Noriko more.

 **YUI** : Hm? Why?

 **SHUJI** : Noriko never refuses a challenge. She really goes for that kind of thing. Maybe you guys have a lot in common?

 **YUI** : [Blushing, looking away.] Perhaps. Should we continue playing our game?

 **SHUJI** : Oh. Um. If...if you want to?

 **YUI** : I suppose I should get back to Kyo with my work on out of the box problems they might encounter. Thank you for the diversion.

_She stands, leaving me to put away the game, and starts to leave the room. I wave to her as she leaves, but she pauses in the doorway._

**YUI** : Shuji?

 **SHUJI** : Yeah? What’s up?

 **YUI** : I don’t know the rules for Snakes & Ladders. I hope it was fun.

_With that, she’s gone._

_I’m left in a sudden void of realization. She had no idea how to play? She was just toiling under the assumption that there was more than met the eye? I can only imagine my reactions only fueled this misunderstanding._

_I put my head in my hands._

_We’re both idiots._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be NEXT YEAR! January 7th! We've still got a ways to go before another murder happens, but don't get too comfortable in this murder mansion! Something is always afoot...
> 
> As always, I really really appreciate everyone reading this. The fact that you've followed this story so far means SO much to me! If you have any thoughts, complaints, etc, please feel free to leave a comment below! They fuel me. Call it a Christmas present?


	30. Chapter Three: Panic (7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang plays Dungeons and Dragons! And nothing bad happens. Haha...yeah...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for throat trauma, and a very mild reference to suicide
> 
> Yeah, I lied about nothing bad happening.

**KYO** : Alright, I understand that most of you are new to the game, so I’ve taken the liberty of putting together some pre-made character sheets for you to choose from.

**ISEI** : Good call. Session 0 being bogged down by character creation can kill a game before it starts.

**MIKI** : Wow, listen to uber nerd! 

**KATHERINE** : Haha, nerd.

**BO** : He’s not a nerd! He’s so cool! Do you know how many friends you have to have to play a game like this? How many friends who are willing to meet on a regular basis?!

**SHUJI** : Have you played before, Bo?

**BO** : My film crew and I played one-off sessions when we had time!

**KYO** : Cool! 

**ISEI** : Is this everyone that’s coming?

**KYO** : Hmm…

_ Kyo counts all of our heads as we sit around the table. _

**KYO** : Noriko should be here soon.

**MIKI** : What’s with the peanut gallery?

**BO** : Who?

**KATHERINE** : Are Fumi and Heiji going to be playing?

**FUMI** : Oh, us? We’re not even paying attention, sorry.

**HEIJI** : If this controller were slightly more broken, you wouldn’t have a chance, Fumi!

**SHUJI** : Are they playing...Smash Bros?

**MIKI** : I can’t believe they just proved they have no rights under law.

**HEIJI** : I proved what?!

**KATHERINE** : [Shaking her head.] Anyone who plays Smash Bros Melee is sentenced to death.

**NORIKO** : Let’s keep all death jokes to a minimum, shall we?

**KATHERINE** : [Expressionless.] Who’s joking?

_ Miki starts laughing really, really hard, but nobody else really joins in. I guess they’re good for each other. _

**KYO** : Noriko! You’re here! Okay, everybody look over these sheets and pick a character!

**ISEI** : Katherine, I’m surprised you know like...things about video games. I thought your childhood was very structured.

**KATHERINE** : I spend a lot of time with Miki, duh.

**ISEI** : Right. And Miki knows a lot about video games?

**MIKI** : I was the top googled meme for three weeks running. I ended up learning about the culture so I could attempt to exploit it with advertising. 

**KATHERINE** : You’re so smart, babe.

**MIKI** : But I’m not as smart as you!

**KYO** : C’mon guys, look at the sheets! I worked really hard on this!

_ There’s some muttering, but we all end up looking over the sheets provided and I’m finally given a chance to consider what’s really going on. _

_ I find myself in the game room once again, a full day later, though this time we’re playing a much lower stakes game than Snakes and Ladders. Somehow the anxiety associated with playing a role playing oriented game I’ve never played before is less than puzzling out a strategy in a children’s game with one rule. _

_ I look over the sheets, but mostly let people pick whatever they want. I’m mostly in this because I want to spend time with people, after all, so there’s no reason to deny someone a character they want. When there’s only a few left--Kyo made more than necessary so there were more options--I pick out a fairly basic looking dwarven dude with a big axe.  _

**SHUJI** : My name is Anchovy Bramblebrew?

**KYO:** I am many things. A creative genius, at times. An expert at getting rich people to give their money away, for sure. Good at naming things? I am not.

**ISEI** : I’m Yennefer Pluck. Count your blessings.

**MIKI** : I wanna change my dude’s name.

**KYO** : Go ahead! Let me write it down.

**MIKI** : I wanna be The Rat Man.

**KYO** : Your halfling rogue is the..The Rat Man?

**MIKI** : Yeah.

**KATHERINE** : Oh, I think the thing I’m playing is a cat! Cats hunt rats.

**MIKI** : That’s kinda hot.

**SHUJI** : Gross.

**ISEI** : And they say Melee players have no rights…

**BO** : Go to jail Miki-sama!!

**KATHERINE** : Don’t worry babe, I’ll defend you from the cops.

**NORIKO** : Ahem, I’m playing an elven knight named…<Pink Dragon?>

**KYO** : Words in English are cool, it’s scientifically proven.

**BO** : I’m gonna rename my character too! I’m an Aasimar--

**SHUJI** : A what?

**BO** : Like, an angel! A celestial being of light, torn from the heavens and thrown to earth…

**KYO** : I expected you to pick that one, Bo!

**BO** : Thank you Kyo-sama! But I’m going to be named...Marjolaine…

**ISEI** : Just one name?

**BO** : Like Cher.

**SHUJI** : Nice!

**KYO** : Are we ready to start?

_ Everyone nods affirmatively, and Kyo leans back in their chair with a satisfied expression on their face. They begin reading from a notebook, their voice taking on a storybook quality. _

**KYO** : All of you have found yourselves in a prison cell together. The circumstances of your arrival are up to you, and your guilt or innocence is only for a court to say. The fact remains that you are here. Together. And there is a very firm set of metal bars preventing you from getting anywhere else. 

**BO** : Oh, do we break out?

**KYO** : You could try! I was thinking you might introduce yourselves to each other, but there’s no real limits here. 

**NORIKO** : Okay. Um. Hello...all. My name is <Pink Dragon.> Uh…

**ISEI** : What are you in for?

**NORIKO** : Murder.

**BO** : Whoa!

**KYO** : Was that in character?

**BO** : No, but it can be! Here, I’ll do a voice.  _ Whoa! _

**NORIKO** : Yes, it is a serious crime. And the rest of you?

**ISEI** : Hmm...We can just pick anything we want, right?

**KYO** : Yep! I left bare bones backstories on your character sheets if you’re not feeling too creative, though.

_ Isei squints at his character sheet. _

**ISEI** : Cattle rustling.

**BO** : I’m injustly imprisoned! I attempted to hack into--er, uh, use magic to break into the mayor’s house because I am sure he is a demon!

**KYO** : Wow, alright.

**BO** : I need to escape this infernal prison or else...umm...Or else the mayor’s infernal plan will come to fruit!

**MIKI** : You said infernal twice.

**BO:** It’s doubly infernal!

**ISEI** : Why don’t you introduce yourself?

**MIKI** : Right. I’m The Rat Man.

**KATHERINE** : The Rat Man is in jail for being too beautiful.

**MIKI** : That’s right. That’s the truth.

**SHUJI** : What about your character, Katherine?

**KATHERINE** : I’m a bodyguard. I followed The Rat Man into jail as a faithful servant. Also my name isn’t Katherine. It’s The Cat Man.

**KYO** : Wow, I’m gonna need to take notes on all this.

**ISEI** : Hey uh…

_ Isei scoots next to me to read my sheet. _

**ISEI** : Anchovy. What are you in for?

_ Panicked, I look at my own sheet. It looks like Anchovy Bramblebrew is a family man with three daughters and a swarm of lizards to take care of. His main goals seem to be to get back to his family after he was kidnapped for his family’s fortune but he was never ransomed.  _

_ There’s no mention of a crime on here, so I guess I should just base it on this. _

**SHUJI** : I’m Anchovy Bramblebrew and I was arrested for uh...going through a dumpster out back of a restaurant. An Inn, I mean. Is that good enough?

**KYO** : That’s great, Shuji! You guys can keep talking.

_ I hear a rattle from behind the books Kyo has propped up. _

**NORIKO** : Are you rolling dice?

_ Kyo smiles mischievously. _

**KYO** : Don’t worry about that. Keep talking!

**BO** : Ruh-roh!

**ISEI** : Okay. So. I’m a cowgirl I guess. 

**NORIKO** : Are you not more worried to be sharing a space with a murderer?

**MIKI** : I’m not. I’ve got a bodyguard. You have to go through The Cat Man to get to me.

**SHUJI** : Will The...Cat Man be defending the rest of us?

**KATHERINE** : Hmm...No.

**BO** : It matters if the murder was good or not! I mean, just!

**ISEI** : Yeah, I think we need more details before we decide to fear you or not.

**SHUJI** : It’s not like you have weapons right now, do you?

**NORIKO** : Do I?

**KYO** : Nope! You’re in jail. Who’d let you have a sword in jail?

**NORIKO** : You, maybe, I thought.

**KYO** : Nope. I am a just but firm god here.

**NORIKO** : Fine. It says here..I mean, uh. In my past, I killed my daughter when she became a highway man who tried to rob the townsfolk. Kyo, this is really dark.

**KYO** : Play to your strengths! You’re an actor!

**NORIKO** : [Sighs.] My name is <Pink Dragon> because I am a vigilante who defended the township four miles west of here. After a band of highwaymen attacked the town, taking up residence in an abandoned fort nearby, I went to try to clear them out. Little did I know I’d be up against my own daughter, turned to such a life due to my own neglect.

_ There’s a pause as we take in Noriko’s truly respectable performance. I guess this is pretty much in her wheelhouse. None of us quite know how to follow it. _

**MIKI** : [Deadpan.] And  _ I’m _ The Rat Man.

_ Well that’s one way to follow it. _

_ The absurdity of it all prompts laughter from all of us. This looks like it might turn out more fun than I’d thought. _

**NORIKO** : [Laughing.] Okay, Rat Man--

**MIKI** : THE Rat Man.

**NORIKO** : Yes, of course. The Rat Man. You’re in here for crimes of beauty?

**MIKI** : Yeah, the infernal infernal mayor sentenced me to life in prison because everybody showed up at my birthday party instead of his.

**BO** : Now you said infernal twice!

**MIKI** : Yeah I heard somewhere that he’s double infernal.

**ISEI** : I’m from out of town as well, but I’m gonna be mysterious so you don’t get my whole backstory.

**KYO** : Do you say that out loud?

**ISEI** : ...Yeah.

**SHUJI** : Okay, I guess it’s my turn to do backstory?

**KYO** : Actually, that might have to wait.

**SHUJI** : Huh? Why?

**KYO** : Roll perception please everyone!

**BO** : Ruh-roh…

_ We all pass around a 20 sided die, cluelessly repeating back the numbers that we got. Kyo seems to consider these numbers carefully. _

**KYO** : Alright. Anchovy and The Cat Man both notice smoke starting to come in through the hallway, and Yennefer notices that it’s started to be uncomfortably hot in here. Marjolaine doesn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, and neither does <Pink.>

**ISEI** : Hey, uh, quick question. Is this a wooden jail?

**KYO** : It is.

_ Kyo rolls another die behind their impromptu screen. _

**KYO** : And it is starting to be very hot indeed.

**BO** : Break out time! 

**MIKI** : What do we have with us we could break out with?!

**KATHERINE** : Can you describe the room more?

**KYO** : Sure thing! The room is wide and shallow, with some benches interspersed that you may have been sitting on. The benches are wooden, but fastened to the dirt floor with metal bolts. There is a small window above anyone’s head height, about the width of a loaf of bread. 

**BO** : Could any of us fit through the window?

**KYO** : Well, you could probably try, but…

_ We spend the next 20 minutes escaping from the burning jail, strategizing and working together through Kyo’s puzzles. _

_ The party, which Kyo begins affectionately calling ‘Nasty Crime Buddies,’ narrowly escapes the flames only to fall into the grasp of local authorities who are convinced that we burned the jail down. We have to fight them off with weapons we nicked during the jailbreak, and then attempt to hide in the forest.  _

_ The forest is, naturally, populated with all sorts of monsters. _

_ Nasty Crime Buddies spend the next hour locating, clearing out, and de-trapping a fort to make our home base while we try to solve the mystery of “Who burned down the jail, and why?” Things go shockingly smooth, with the exception of The Cat Man and The Rat Man trying to split off from the group in the woods and nearly getting eaten by a bugbear.  _

_ By the end, we’re all exhausted but incredibly satisfied.  _

**BO** : [Yawning] I think we need snacks.

**MIKI** : Can we take a break? Maybe come back to this in a few days?

**KATHERINE** : I’m beat.

**KYO** : Yeah, of course! You know, you all worked together a lot better than I expected.

**NORIKO** : Solving puzzles brings all sorts of minds together. I think our time here proves that.

**ISEI** : Life or death really can unite people.

**SHUJI** : Jeez, kids, can you lighten up? We’re just playing a fun game. It’s cool.

**MIKI** : It’s Dungeons & Dragons. It’s not cool.

**KATHERINE** : It’s a little cool.

**MIKI** : Well obviously it’s cool. We’re playing it.

**BO** : Sleepy…

**SHUJI** : This was really fun, guys. I’m glad I let you convince me to try it out!

**ISEI** : When are we gonna meet up again?

**KYO** : Well, you guys actually burned through a lot of material so I might need a few days to recoup. Also, if you liked this, everybody thank Yui who was backseat DMing for me as far as creating all of this.

_ We mutter thanks and encouragements to each other, but we disperse pretty quickly. Spending an hour and a half with a group of people isn’t really that long in the scheme of things, but considering we’ve only had each other for company for some time now, wanting some space feels like it makes a lot of sense. _

_ I spend the rest of the day recovering on my own, by which I mean stuffing my face with ramen and going to sleep at 4 PM. You know, standard healthy things to do. _

_ I wake up in the middle of the night, pretty predictably since I went to sleep so early, and am shocked at the sense of peace I have in my heart. _

_ For the first time in a while, I’m not terrified or miserable upon waking. I know I’m still in a very serious situation, and my chest aches any time I think about the people we’ve lost, but I’m not tearing my hair out over it anymore. I have a lot of faith in the people around me now. _

_ Now that Kata and Masanori are gone, there’s nobody that really jumps out as a threat to anyone else. Even Miki, the attempted murderer, has really mellowed out. I haven’t seen a lot of Aika since the wake, but she’s never struck me as the outright murderous type so I’m not worried. _

_ Then again, nobody struck me as outright murderous. _

_ That thought troubles me, but I shake my head and roll over.  _

_ Things are going to be fine. The Fey hasn’t even laid out a motive yet, and it’s been a lot longer than I expected it to go. We might not be any closer to escape, but at least we’re not being perpetually taunted by a cruel robot. Other than the morning announcements, I guess. _

_ I roll over again. Ugh. Okay, so there’s still a lot of problems here. _

_ Nothing I can really do about it now. Maybe I should seek out Aika and make sure she’s okay? _

_ The idea of Aika being mean to me and lashing out over whatever the hell is going on inside her head strikes me as deeply unpleasant. _

_ Maybe I could do...literally anything else tomorrow. _

_ We’ll see. _

_ Before long, I fade back into sleep. _

_ The next day passes uneventfully until around supper time. I find myself in the kitchen looking for something easy; leftovers or instant foods. I’ve been cooking a lot more than usual since coming here. There’s a faint tickle in the back of my head, as if I’m used to cooking with someone else, but it passes like an un-sneezed sneeze. That is to say, frustrating and a little bit maddening. _

_ I end up with an instant yakisoba meal, and consider eating it in the kitchen while standing. It feels a bit goblin like but after a day without a lot of human contact I’m feeling a bit like a goblin. _

_ It isn’t until Isei comes in that I think better of it. _

**ISEI** : Making dinner?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, in a way. 

**ISEI** : In a way?

**SHUJI** : In the way that this is only sorta ‘making’ and very barely ‘food.’ 

**ISEI** : It smells good, anyway.

**SHUJI** : It does at that. What’s up?

**ISEI** : I was thinking of grabbing something to eat and maybe watching a movie in the theatre. Nobody’s been taking advantage of it yet, so it seemed...I don’t know, viable. It’s not like we really do sit down dinners together.

**SHUJI** : Oh, that sounds cool! What movie?

**ISEI** : I was thinking of doing a classic. Maybe Jurassic Park?

**SHUJI** : Oh, nice. I haven’t seen it in ages.

**ISEI** : [Looking away.] Would you...like to come?

_ I look down at my cheap meal. Eating it in the theatre might class it up. Why not? _

**SHUJI** : Sure! Want me to get you something instant and probably made a little bit of plastic?

**ISEI** : Absolutely. As much extra packaging as possible.

**SHUJI** : I wouldn’t make it any other way. I, too, hate the environment.

_ We go back and forth for a while as I boil some water and pour it over densely packed noodles. I add in the sauce, and cover it up again before handing it over. _

_ Together we walk up the stairs to the theatre. Since I “cooked,” Isei takes it upon himself to set up the movie. I place his package of noodles on the seat next to mine in the back row, and hold my own hot styrofoam affront to God in my lap. _

_ The opening credits begin as Isei hustles back down into the seats, locates me, and nearly sits on top of his noodles. I laugh at him, but we start watching the movie before any more banter can come up. I get wrapped up in it pretty quickly, but I notice out of the corner of my eye that Isei does not seem to be comfortable in his seat. _

_ I unwrap my noodles and caution him to wait another minute, and he nods silently, his lips pinched together.  _

**SHUJI** : Are you really scared of dinosaurs?

**ISEI** : What? No. They’re all dead, it’s not really a big concern for me.

**SHUJI** : And ghost dinosaurs aren’t really on your radar?

**ISEI** : [Laughing.] I wouldn’t say so. 

**SHUJI** : But really, are you okay?

**ISEI** : Yeah, I’m fine. Am I acting weird?

**SHUJI** : No...not particularly. I’ll drop it.

_ Isei just looks faintly miserable before turning back to the screen. This is going to distract me through the whole movie if I let it. We’re barely to the part where Jeff Goldblum is introduced when I lean back in my chair, finished with my nasty mess of a meal, and my leg brushes up against Isei’s.  _

_ He reacts like he was bit by a snake; recoiling away from me with a start. _

_ I look at him in surprise, but his eyes are now firmly focused on the movie. _

_ Why would he be so nervous about all of this? It’s not like we’re on a date or anything. _

_ Or...wait… _

**ROXXY** : They ARE watching a movie! Oh, fun!

**FUMI** : My sense of hearing is usually right.

**ROXXY** : You got good ears, girl!

_ Fumi and Roxxy barge in, excitedly taking seats in the front row. _

**FUMI** : Oh, this movie’s pretty scary.

**ROXXY** : I’ll say! Look at that guy’s shirt. It’s just slightly too unbuttoned.

**FUMI** : No I mean the dinosaurs!

**ROXXY** : Dinosaurs aren’t real. Men who don’t know how to cover up are very real.

**ISEI** : (Did she say she doesn’t think dinosaurs are real?)

**SHUJI** : (I think she did. Should we tell her?)

**ISEI** : (And have her nightmares be haunted by ghost dinosaurs? Pass.)

_ I cover my hand with my mouth as I laugh at the idea of that.  _

_ Having more people around has already eased whatever weird tension was going on between us. I’m glad. _

**AIKA** : Oh. A movie. I’ll join.

_ Okay, not the best addition, but if she’s feeling social I’m definitely not going to refuse her the right. She takes a seat in a middle row. Can she even see the movie through those sunglasses? _

**SHUJI** : (Isn’t a little on-topic for her to be watching a movie about the dangers of science?)

**ISEI** : (She just wishes she had Jeff Goldblum’s appeal.)

**SHUJI** : (Don’t we all?)

_ We laugh again, and Aika turns to look at us. I’m assuming she’s glaring, but I really can’t tell. This just makes us laugh harder, covering our mouths and leaning into our hands to try to contain it. _

**MIKI** : Oh man, other people had our idea!

**KATHERINE** : [Deadpan.] Movie night, bitches.

_ They take up seats on the same row as Isei and I, but a few spaces away. _

**MIKI** : Hey, Fumi! What’s up?

**FUMI** : Um? I’m watching a movie I guess.

**MIKI** : Is it a date?

**FUMI** : What?!

**ROXXY** : Hey guys, I’d really appreciate you not talking over the movie.

**KATHERINE** : It’s totally a date.

_ Roxxy turns around in her seat to look at all of us, and places a finger over her lips with a wink. _

**ROXXY** : Shh!

**MIKI** : So what movie is this?

**KATHERINE** : Jurassic Park. The kid actors do a really good job.

**AIKA** : Like you’d know.

**KATHERINE** : What?

**MIKI** : Weird, I thought I heard a really annoying buzzing sound? Maybe there’s a fly in here.

**KATHERINE** : ...Right.

**ISEI** : We really do have an interesting group of people in here. Do you ever think about that?

**SHUJI** : Think about what?

**ISEI** : Outside of Hope’s Peak, or the odd kidnapping scenario, do you think this group of people would ever spend time together?

**SHUJI** : You mean a child star, a mad scientist, a letter writer, a magician and a yoyoer all seeing a movie together? It could happen.

**ISEI** : If it did, it would make news.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, this class does make a lot of headlines. Even after graduation, I remember seeing these names all over the--

**ISEI** : What?

**SHUJI** : All over the news, I was gonna say.

**ISEI** : You remember after graduation? You remember our names in the news after graduation?

**SHUJI** : I...oh! I do!

**ISEI** : What do you remember?

_ I close my eyes, the noise of the movie and the rest of the crowd quietly talking over it not really helping me focus. After graduation. _

_ I remember sitting in a desk chair, looking at the computer.  _ Someone is over my shoulder, saying he needs it for work, but I’m preoccupied.

“Aren’t you worried?” I say, gesturing to the headline. Three recent graduates of Hope’s Peak have been reported missing by their families. Another two haven’t been able to be reached for comment. People are panicking.

“No,” he says, and ushers me out of his seat. “I’ve got it covered.”

_ I shake my head, feeling a strange sensation of having forgotten something important, and relay the memory to Isei. _

**ISEI** : That feels important. I assumed we all got kidnapped at once, but…

**MIKI** : Hey, boys? Shut up. We’re watching here.

**AIKA** : As if you two haven’t been talking the whole time.

**KATHERINE** : Get off their back. You’d be talking if you had anyone to talk to.

**AIKA** : You think I’m lonely? Oh, it must be because you can’t survive unless someone is telling you what to do.

**MIKI** : What the hell is that supposed to mean?

**AIKA** : You were a child star, right? I can’t think of one that doesn’t show textbook dependency issues on their parents or agents. You’ve been used as a tool by the industry, by your parents, by anyone you cared about.

**MIKI** : That’s not true! You don’t know her at all!

**AIKA** : So now you find someone to use you. You know, I hear Miki’s pretty good with their hands. Is that what they use you for? You must do  _ something _ for them. It really isn’t obvious, but I guess to each their own.

**KATHERINE** : Stop.

**AIKA** : I mean, some people enjoy good conversation and company. Others enjoy a silent giant who can’t move her face. You must’ve been a  _ really _ good actress. Are you even sure you went to Hope’s Peak?

**SHUJI** : Hey, Aika, I really don’t like where this is going. You should--

**KATHERINE** : Shuji’s right.

**SHUJI** : I didn’t really finish my point.

**KATHERINE** : You should fuck off and die.

**SHUJI** : Whoa, that is not what I was going to say.

**AIKA** : Oh? Does she show her true colors?

_ Katherine stands up, casting a shadow on the screen. Now everyone is looking at her. _

**KATHERINE** [Grotesquely furious.]: I’ll fucking kill you myself! You think you get to say that shit to me? About me? About my fucking partner? How fucking dare you. How FUCKING dare you! I’ll kill your whole goddamn family! I’ll eat your fucking parents! 

_ Miki grabs her arm, and tries to start tugging her away from this situation. Katherine, however, resists. She shakes Miki’s hand off of her arm and vaults over a row of seats to stand directly in front of Aika, towering over her. _

**MIKI** : Babe, come on.

**KATHERINE** : You think you can tell me who I am?! You think you know me?! You don’t know anything! You don’t know fucking anything! 

_ Katherine reaches for Aika, to shake or I don’t know what, but Roxxy jumps over her row of seats to stand between them. _

**ROXXY** : I don’t know what’s going on but you need to calm the hell down.

**AIKA** : I could write a fucking dissertation about you. Here come the waterworks, right? Oh no, someone said something mean to you, so your whole blank faced facade is a thing. I bet you’re this angry all the time. I bet you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for someone to die.

**KATHERINE** : Maybe for you to die! I’ll kill you! You think you’re the one who gets to make me feel bad?!

**AIKA** : You’re doing that all on your own.

**KATHERINE** : I’ll tear your fucking face right off your goddamn head!

**ROXXY** : Back off!

**MIKI** : Kathy, please! Please come with me. It’s okay.

_ I hadn’t even noticed standing, but now everyone is on their feet. Isei pushes past me to stand behind Katherine, gently taking her elbow in his hand and tugging her away. _

**ISEI** : That’s enough.

**KATHERINE** : You don’t get to decide what’s enough!

**ISEI** : I do get to decide that. I’ve decided that this much is enough. Come on. 

**MIKI** : Please.

**KATHERINE** : I’m not fucking done with you, Akiyama. 

**AIKA** : Good. I’m not done with you either. I’m going to write a case study. Child Stardom and Lack of Autonomy, it’ll be called.

_ Katherine just wordlessly screams and tries to lunge at Aika, but Miki and Isei drag her away as Roxxy rebuffs her. The two of them take Katherine out of the room, leaving Roxxy, Fumi, Aika and I in their wake. _

**SHUJI** : Are...you okay? Aika?

**AIKA** : I’m fine. I’m fine.

**FUMI** : Why did you say all that?

**ROXXY** : Seriously, you were borderline tolerable at the wake. What happened?

**AIKA** : [Stiffly.] Nothing. Nothing happened.

**SHUJI** : That was pretty scary. You’re totally cool with it?

**AIKA** : I’m fine! Leave me alone.

_ Aika storms out, clearly under some emotional turmoil she’s unwilling to express. Now the room is down to three people, plus some on-screen dinosaurs. _

_ None of us really seem to know how to react, so we just stand there. Gradually, Fumi sits back down in the front seat. Roxxy walks all the way around instead of leaping over seats again and joins her. I sink into my seat as well. _

**SHUJI** : So. Uh. Dinosaurs.

**ROXXY** : Yeah.

**FUMI** : I like this movie.

**SHUJI** : A little scary.

**ROXXY** : Mm-hmm.

_ We end up watching the rest of the movie in relative silence, and the tension of being hunted by dinosaurs on screen somehow seems laughably basic compared to the harrowing experience we just went through. What’s a little disembowelment compared to a really emotive Katherine? Both are very scary. One at least seems to have a rational ending point to it. _

_ I’ll try to check on both Aika and Katherine. Tomorrow. When things have calmed down, ideally.  _

_ A shiver crawls down my spine. This is not a situation where a powder keg like that can be resolved without flames. I don’t think I can douse it, though. _

_ I shake my head. I’ve got to do what I can. _

_ Tomorrow. _

* * *

_ I grant myself a soothing morning before seeking out the traumatized and potentially dangerous that I vowed to touch base with. I allow myself to be lulled into a sense of security through warm tea and toast, as if that could help me forget the fight from last night.  _

_ But I refuse to put it off entirely, both of the murders that have happened here have been entirely preventable and if an uncomfortable conversation prevents murder then I’m down to be a little uncomfortable.  _

_ Katherine is predictably with Miki, but I figure I’ll talk to her after playing games with her and Kyo. Aika, however, has been more illusive. It takes longer than I expect to find her. When I do, naturally, it’s in the most concerning place she could be.  _

_ She stands in front of the medicine cabinet in the infirmary, with a neutral expression i interpret as speculative.  _

**SHUJI** : Looking at poisons?

**AIKA** : What do you want?

_ Well, she’s direct. _

**SHUJI** : Well, right now I’m kind of wanting you to back away from the poison case. 

**AIKA** : [Irritated] It’s medicine. 

_ I step forward to examine the case she’s looking at.  _

**SHUJI** : Oh yes, cyanide, a really curative. Seriously, are you okay?

**AIKA** : I’m not speculating suicide if that’s what you’re wondering.

**SHUJI** : That’s good. Not what I was asking.    


**AIKA** : What, you want my whole sob story? I’m not some mewling baby desperate for affection, go find someone else to mother. 

**SHUJI** : Aika, what is your damage.

**AIKA** : [Angry] Who says I have a fucking problem?

_ This is like getting porcupine quills out of a dog that wants to bite you. I’m not sure I have the patience for this. I cross my arms and scowl at her; she returns the gesture. _

**SHUJI** : Last night, you were being a huge asshole to katherine for no reason. I’m not here to babysit you, I just want to know if you’re going to be a problem. 

**AIKA** : She said I don’t have friends.

**SHUJI** : I was under the impression that was one of the things you liked about yourself. 

_ Aika looks at me seeming frustrated before turning away and sitting on one of the cots. She puts her elbows on her knees and buries her face in her hands. I’m not sure how to respond, I take a step forward, but this is the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen her. I worry that I might scare her away if I approach this poorly.  _

**SHUJI** : What’s going on Aika?

_ Aika brushes her eyes with the back of her hands still hiding them from me before looking at me. Her mouth is pulled into a small, tight frown which is remarkably expressive for her.  _

**AIKA** : I might not have friends now, but... Kata was my friend. My only friend. 

_ I take another step forward. _

**SHUJI** : I--

**AIKA** : I miss Lani too, but everyone’s acting like it’s good Kata’s gone. I can’t stand it.

**SHUJI** : So why choose to lash out at Katherine instead of talking to anyone about it?

**AIKA** : Obviously, I have a thing for giants. Though you’re not half bad. Wink.

_ Wow, she just said wink out loud. She’s getting really lazy. _

**SHUJI** : [Sighs] Cut it out and act like a person for once. You have an opportunity to talk about what’s bothering you. I won’t make fun of you.

**AIKA** : What if I’m into being made fun of?

**SHUJI** : Then I really won’t make fun of you!

_ Aika looks away, staring at a blank spot on the wall.  _

**AIKA** : Who am I supposed to go to when I’m sad? This is a murder mansion.   


**SHUJI** : Well you could always come to me.

**AIKA** : Don’t lie to me. I know you don’t particularly like me. This is a murder mansion.

**SHUJI** : [Irritated] No, you’re right, the perfectly rational thing to do is to antagonize Katherine until she threatens to kill your parents. 

**AIKA** : She threatened to eat my parents.

**SHUJI** : Truly, you are a bastion of logic and self-preservation.

**AIKA** : You have a point. But Katherine is clearly a nut case. You saw that reaction. That’s not normal.

**SHUJI** : Well, you made really mean comments about her family and her partner. Yeah she overreacted, but you were being a bitch.

**AIKA** : Maybe I just am a bitch. 

_ I open my mouth to make some witty retort when Bo enters the room.  _

_ Bo skips into the room, looks back at forth between Aika and me, before nonchalantly hooking their arm through mine in attempt to steer me out of the room. _

**BO** : You’re going to be late. 

**SHUJI** : What am I late for?

**BO** : Dungeons and Dragons! I can’t believe you forgot.

_ I look over my shoulder at Aika as I’m led from the room. _

**SHUJI** : This conversation isn’t over. 

**AIKA** : Yes it is.

_ Bo drags me away, probably for my own good, all the way up to the game room. I guess more time had passed than I’d thought while looking for Aika, but I’m not satisfied with the result of that conversation. Nothing to be done about it until later, though, and now I have the chance to talk to Katherine as well. _

_ Everyone else is here; they sent Bo to go look for me when I wasn’t showing. Noriko and Isei are sitting side by side this time, with Katherine and Miki on the opposite side of the table. Katherine is hunched over in her seat, looking very intently at a blank spot on the table, while Miki looks like they haven’t slept very well recently. Their hand hovers near Katherine’s back at all times. Bo and I take our places, Bo apparently oblivious to the tension emanating from one half of the group. _

_ This time, the center of the table is claimed by a map made on graph paper. It’s clearly amateur, but I’m surprised by the attention to detail all the same. Scooting forward, I can identify the fort Nasty Crime Buddies made their base, as well as the town we all escaped last session. _

**KYO** : Hey! I was wondering if you’d forgotten.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, sorry about that. Honestly it really had slipped my mind.

**KYO** : It’s alright! Are we ready to start? Does anyone need a recap of last time?

**ISEI** : I think we’re good.

**KYO** : Everyone?

**KATHERINE** : I’m fine.

**MIKI** : ...Me too. I remember.

**NORIKO** : Last time we decided we’d refurbish the base, right?

**KYO** : You sure did. Which brings me to our intro.

**BO** : Oh good!!

**KYO** : All of you have woken up already, and maybe begun your morning rituals. However, before any of you can discuss what to do today, or who tried to kill all of you yesterday in the jail, one of you spots a group of merchants approaching via the winding forest road!

**ISEI** : Good thing we cleaned out those monsters, then. Otherwise they’d be toast.

**NORIKO** : I was wondering when we’d get to properly equip.

**KYO** : So you welcome the merchants into your fort?

**BO** : Can I roll to look at them before we invite them in?

**KYO** : Sure.

_ Bo ecstatically rolls a 20 sided die and gets a 15. _

**KYO** : Alright! You see that there are four people in varying styles of dress. One is a drow woman in a black lace dress--

**MIKI** : Hot?

**KYO** : Up to you! She wears circular dark sunglasses that completely obscure her face--

**MIKI** : Not hot. Very not hot.

**KYO** : Sure. She definitely emanates a magical presence. The man next to her is a human with long hair and what seems to be swim shorts. With him is an elf with peculiar makeup and hair shaped like a triangle--

**SHUJI** : Oh, I get it.

**KYO** : [Innocently] What’s to get?

**ISEI** : Who is the last one?

**KYO** : A dwarven woman with long black hair and a knitted dress. Do you allow them to enter?

**BO** : What do you guys think?

**NORIKO** : We need equipment. I say we let them in.

**ISEI** : I’m for it.

**SHUJI** : Me too.

**MIKI** : Same.

**KYO** : Katherine? What does The Cat Man think?

**KATHERINE** : [Looking away.] …

**KYO** : ...Okay! Do you go down to greet them?

_ We all agree, except for Katherine who seems to not be paying attention. Miki rubs her back with one hand, still trying to play the game. _

_ The merchants enter our fort, and we all lean into the roleplaying of purchasing equipment. It’s pretty clear that all of them are meant to be members from our class, which is cute at first. Heiji’s stand in sells potentially useless enchanted items along the lines of a brick you can keep in your pocket that magically cures snoring. Yui’s sells maps and practical goods for adventuring, like flint and rope. PV’s has aesthetic goods, including clothes and armor, as well as very stylish weapons. The Aika stand in has magic books and more combat oriented trinkets, which she tells us between witchy cackles. _

_ All in all, Kyo just proves that they’re pretty good at impression work. _

_ Miki, however, seems to be getting more and more aggressive the more the Aika character speaks. At first, this is played for laughs as their character is rude to her, but their aggravation keeps bleeding through in an honestly pretty troubling way. _

**MIKI** : I want to roll to steal all of the witch’s wares.

**KYO** : Oh, uh, okay! Sure. She does have several unattended packs right now. Your sleight of hand will have to beat her perception.

**MIKI** : Shit, I got a five.

**NORIKO** : Does my character notice?

**KYO** : Sure, your passive perception is high enough.

**NORIKO** : Okay, I step over, in between the witch and The Rat Man, interrupting line of sight. I tell The Rat Man that he shouldn’t have done that.

**KYO** : “Done what?” the witch asks.

**MIKI** : Did she notice?

**KYO** : You can’t tell yet, since Noriko--<Pink Dragon> I mean--is blocking your view.

**MIKI** : Okay. I say “I haven’t done anything, get off my back.”

**KYO** : Does The Cat Man interfere in this at all?

**KATHERINE** : …

_ Katherine is now studying her own hands, eyes half lidded. She looks like she might be about to cry. There are several beats of silence as we, as a group, wonder what to do about this. Kyo elects to move on. _

**KYO** : The witch skirts around Noriko to see The Rat Man’s hand pretty firmly in her bag. She looks really offended, and rushes forward to take her bag back from him. “How dare you?” she says. “I’m going to psychoanalyze you in a really uncharitable way about this!”

**SHUJI** : Really? That’s what she says?

**KYO** : I didn’t script this part, cut me some slack.

**ISEI** : I think it sounds in character for her.

**MIKI** : I take out my knife and hold it to her throat.

**BO** : Spicy bartering techniques...

**NORIKO** : Whoa! Can I stop this?

**KYO** : You can try. Miki, do you want to roll intimidation?

**MIKI** : No. 

**NORIKO** : I’m gonna try to diffuse this situation.

**SHUJI** : Are the rest of us just like, here? And not saying anything?

**ISEI** : I’m still busy buying earrings that make me float I think.

**KYO** : Good point. I’ll check your passive perceptions and...Okay, Bo and The Cat Man notice something is up, but Yennefer and Anchovy are still busy with what they’re doing.

**BO** : Ooh! My character says “Wow, trade negotiations are not going well for everyone here.”

**NORIKO** : I rolled a 3 for persuasion…

**KYO** : Alright. Um. The witch is furious, but now also scared. “What do you want from me, barbarian?” she says.

**MIKI** : I’m gonna roll…

**KYO** : Wait, what are you rolling?

**MIKI** : I got a 20.

**KYO** : What for?

**MIKI** : I want to slit her throat.

**KATHERINE** : …

**KYO** : Whoa! I’m gonna need for you to roll for that again. 

_ Miki stands up and grabs a different die, as if to prove that theirs wasn’t weighted, and rolls it again. Everyone inspects: it’s another 20. Oh my God. _

**MIKI** : I kill her, right?

**KYO** : I mean...I guess? I’m not really comfortable with this.

**ISEI** : Yeah, this is a bit much.

**BO** : Uh…

**MIKI** : Get off my back! I slit her throat. She dies. That’s that.

**SHUJI** : Miki, I don’t really think--

**KATHERINE** : [Furious; Crying] Leave them alone!

**BO** : Aaah! 

**KATHERINE** : Leave! Them! Alone!

_ Tears are now streaking down her face, messing up her makeup in a big way, but she doesn’t seem to care. She stands and pounds her fist against the table, rattling all the dice. Noriko stands in response, a firm glare on her face. _

**NORIKO** : You need to calm down. Now.

**KATHERINE** : Ugh! 

_ Katherine storms out of the room, and Miki--who has been silent for the most part--chases after her.  _

_ The silence in their wake is deafening. _

_ None of us seem to know how to react, and once again I’m left feeling like I  _ should _ be talking to Katherine but that I really don’t want to. I don’t know how I’d even help her, right now. It’s not like I’m batting 100 after dealing with Aika earlier. _

_ I sigh, and bury my head in my hands, so I don’t even see Heiji come in. _

**HEIJI** : Oh hey, dudes! Are you done playing already?

**KYO** : I...think we are. Is that okay with everyone?

**ISEI** : Yeah.

**NORIKO** : I’m not really in a gaming mood after that.

**BO** : Did anyone else notice that Miki-sama and Katherine-sama were acting weird?

**HEIJI** : Did I...miss something?

**KYO** : Nah. I’m gonna take off though. Feel free to use the room!

**NORIKO** : I’ll be leaving as well.

**ISEI** : Yeah I’m going to clear out too. See you later, dude.

_ The three of them leave, so it’s just Bo, Heiji and I left in the game room. _

**BO** : …

**SHUJI** : …

**HEIJI** : ...You guys wanna play a video game?

_ He successfully breaks the tension. Bo jumps out of their seat in their rush to sit on the floor in front of the TV, and I find myself smiling as I follow suit. Heiji pops in a fighting game a little less broken than the one he was playing last time, and takes position in between us with legs crossed.  _

**BO** : Are you very good at video games?

**HEIJI** : Nah, I’m an outdoors boy. It’s kinda fun to lose at stuff though.

**SHUJI** : To lose at stuff?

**HEIJI** : Yeah! Like, I guess I’m super high school level for a reason, but it’s been a while since I lost a surfing competition. It’d be boring if surfing itself weren’t so fun. But video games? I get my ass kicked every time.

**SHUJI** : I wasn’t really paying attention last time you were playing in here. Did Fumi win?

**HEIJI** : Yeah, she totally killed me. She does every time. Totally not fair.

**BO** : I thought she only played dating games.

**HEIJI** : That’s what really adds insult to injury. If I could date the guys in this game I would, but there’s no option to.

**SHUJI** : Sounds like you’re playing the wrong kind of game.

**HEIJI** : The manliest way to ask someone on a date is by punching them a bunch anyway!

_ There’s just the sound of intense clicking as we try to punch each other in the game. _

**BO** : The really manliest way is to...ghrrgh...rip out their spine!

_ They lean forward so far they’re nearly touching the TV. Their combo doesn’t land. _

**SHUJI** : Maybe I’m old fashioned, here… Spine removal seems like a third date type of thing.

**HEIJI** : Oh yeah? Got a lot of boyfriends, Shuji?

_ This line of questioning is gonna go nowhere real fast, but it distracts me enough to let Heiji get two consecutive combos and kill my character. What a tactic! _

**SHUJI** : Not that I remember, anyway. What about you two?

**BO** : My girlfriend is a real star…

**HEIJI** : Whoa! I didn’t know you had game!

**SHUJI** : Like a famous person?

**BO** : I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of her. She’s very hot.

**HEIJI** : What does she look like?

**BO** : Uhh...round...ish...And yellow?

**SHUJI** : Hold on. Are you talking about a human girl?

**BO** : No! Humans are so passe.

**HEIJI** : Bo, buddy, are you dating the yellow M&M?

**BO** : [Muffled] ...sun.

**SHUJI** : Are you...Are you dating the sun? Is that what you’re telling us right now?

**HEIJI** : That’s cool. I bet she’s awesome. I’m dating the ocean.

**SHUJI** : You could say the sea is your mistress, yeah?

**HEIJI** : The ocean is a boy.

**SHUJI** : Oh yeah?

**HEIJI** : Because I’m gay and a boy and I say so.

**BO** : Hear hear!

**SHUJI** : Okay. Then, if those things are true, video games is my boyfriend.

**HEIJI** : You’ve been hanging out with Fumi, I see.

_ I played my cards too clearly, I guess. I laugh all the same; he’s got me figured out. _

**SHUJI** : She ever get you to play one of the otome games?

**HEIJI** : Yeah! Sibling bonding, dude. I love the cowboy one.

**SHUJI** : Me too!

**BO** : Like yeehaw cowboy or like boy cows? 

**HEIJI** : The yeehaw variety. No sexy minotaur men here, unfortunately.

**BO** : Good, I didn’t want to think my friends are furries.

**SHUJI** : If dating cowboys makes us furries, what does dating the sun make you?

**BO** : Very lucky. 

**HEIJI** : Fair enough.

**SHUJI** : As your honorary sibling, I feel like I should have known about this relationship earlier.

**HEIJI** : What are you gonna do, man? Like, the sun cheats on them and you beat up the sun? Is that your plan?

**SHUJI** : [Sternly.] A man does what he has to do for his siblings.

**BO** : Don’t worry, she’s an honorable lady. And you would die if you fought her. She’s made of fire.

**HEIJI** : That raises an interesting question. How do you smooch the sun?

**BO** : Hmm...very carefully? Fortunately as a cosmic extra terrestrial being, I am less...mortal? Than you are. I’ve got it covered.

**SHUJI** : I’m just imagining a full body oven mitt.

**BO** : That’s a funny way to say space suit!

**HEIJI** : Aren’t all clothes, in a way, a form of oven mitt?

**BO** : Slow your roll! Are you the Super High School Level Philosopher now?!

**HEIJI** : [Shrugs.] I might as well be. The sea teaches you all manners of creative thinking. It makes you ask real questions.

**SHUJI** : Like “Is that seaweed on my ankle or a sea monster?”

**HEIJI** : It’s almost always seaweed, but yeah that’s probably the number one question in my head at any given moment.

**BO** : Almost? Do you have any encounters with sea monsters to talk about?

**HEIJI** : Oh yeah. All the time. My nephew is way better at spotting them than I am.

**SHUJI** : Kids are good for that.

**BO** : Can I ask a bad question?

**HEIJI** : Is it fun bad?

**BO** : I don’t know. Where is your nephew’s father?

**HEIJI** : He didn’t have the stomach to be a teen dad, I guess. He also lacks spine, courage, common sense, and a soul. You know.

**BO** : So he just abandoned his kid? Really?

**HEIJI** : Not everyone’s up for being a parent. On one hand, I get it. I’m not sure I could be a dad at our age either, and a kid is a lot of responsibility. On the other hand, he hurt my sister so by all rights he sucks.

**SHUJI** : You’re a good brother.

**BO** : What if there was another reason? A reason he had to leave and not be with his baby?

**HEIJI** : I mean, we kept going to school with the asshole until Hope’s Peak. It’s not like he left the city.

**BO** : Oh… I hate him.

_ They stare down at their controller, not pressing any buttons. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Bo. Are you alright?

**BO** : Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?

**SHUJI** : No reason. Except that you’re losing really hard at this game.

_ As I say this, I execute a move that obliterates both Heiji and Bo’s health bars. Neither of them are very good at this, honestly. I don’t consider myself an expert, but all of us are more focused on talking than playing anyway.  _

_ Bo laughs, seeming delighted at their loss, while Heiji theatrically groans. _

**BO** : Really, I’m fine. I’m just really bad at this!

**HEIJI** : You’ll learn with practice. I’m sure you were too busy as a kid to really learn video game stuff.

**BO** : Yeah, I was more into breaking into government buildings and finding top secret documents during that period of my life…

**HEIJI** : Completely relatable. 

**SHUJI** : Arguable, but okay.

**BO** : So I have to practice more! I won’t leave this room until I’m perfect at this game!!

**SHUJI** : That sounds great, but, also I’m hungry.

**BO** : Me too…

**HEIJI** : Lunch break? I’ve been making a mean fruit smoothie protein shake you guys might like..

_ The three of us turn off the game and head downstairs for lunch, even though the protein shake does not sound particularly appetizing to me. Bo and I end up making grilled cheese sandwiches, and they firmly insist that they enjoy the taste of burnt bread and the charred fate of their sandwich was intended all along. _

_ As soon as we’re done eating, Bo declares they’re going to continue playing so that they can eventually beat the two of us. _

**BO** : You two wanna come?

**SHUJI** : I think I’m done playing for now. This week has been very many games and not a lot else, so I think I’m getting a little burned out.

**HEIJI** : Not as burned at that sandwich, am I right? Up top!

_ I dutifully high five Heiji, and Bo laughs. _

**BO** : Heiji-sama?

**HEIJI** : I haven’t gotten in my daily swim yet, so I should probably cut it short. We can reconvene before dinner time, though.

**BO** : Sounds like a plan! This is all the time I need to plot to defeat you both, anyway. Say goodbye to your spines!

**HEIJI** : Goodbye, spine!

**SHUJI** : I’ll say goodbye to my spine when you beat me!

_ Bo sticks their tongue out at me, and I return the gesture. They just snort and wave as they stand up to leave. _

_ Bo bounces out of the room, too excited to contain it, and I can only imagine sprints up the stairs to the game room. I can’t help but be amused to see them go. They’ll beat me at that game over my dead body, I’m sure of it. _

_ Heiji and I decide to go to the pool, though I’m not going to be swimming. I agree to be his cheerleader/human timer while he does laps. It’s a good enough way to pass the time. After about half an hour of honestly shockingly fast swimming, he swims up to the side and rests his arms on the edge. _

**HEIJI** : You don’t know your talent, right?

_ Oh, more of this. Okay. _

_ I shrug. _

**SHUJI** : Nope.

**HEIJI** : Maybe you should try out different stuff! Say, swimming? 

**SHUJI** : Are you threatening to coach me?

**HEIJI** : I’m a really bad coach, so it would be a threat if I was, but I’m not. I’m just wondering like, if you have any innate skills you can hone. 

**SHUJI** : There isn’t a lot to do in here.

**HEIJI** : Exactamundo! So you’ve got plenty of time to practice doing whatever. 

**SHUJI** : So you’re saying I should go try to learn a new skill, since I can’t remember mine? Why wouldn’t I just try to figure out what I’m already good at?

**HEIJI** : I ‘unno. Sounds boring, I guess. Maybe you’re the next video game pro, you know? You wouldn’t find out if you were only trying to figure out what you’re already great at.

_ That’s a pretty good point. _

**SHUJI** : How do you know I’m not already a pro video gamer?

**HEIJI** : One, because you said “pro video gamer.” Two, I was just playing you, man. You are not that great. You won, sure, but I still beat you a few times.

**SHUJI** : ...Fair.

_ He laughs and dives back into the water, splashing me.  _

_ Yui comes in shortly after, clutching a clipboard, and upon setting eyes on us walks authoritatively over to us. _

**YUI** : There you two are.

**SHUJI** : I didn’t know you were looking for us.

**YUI** : I’m recruiting you.

**SHUJI** : Into...what?

**YUI** : You know about the travesty of the music closet?

_ Yeah, I remember her nearly having a breakdown at the mere concept of it. I (wisely) decide not to bring that up, and nod instead. _

**YUI** : It’s high time we do something about it. I located cleaning equipment in the supply closet, which is the first set of items that logically belong in there, and we’re going to attack in full force.

**HEIJI** : I am 100% on board with this, except for the fact that I am extremely busy with not doing that at present. I’m sure you understand.

**SHUJI** : I can help.

**HEIJI** : (Don’t do it!)

_ Yui’s eyebrow twitches at Heiji’s stage whisper. _

**SHUJI** : C’mon, we’re not that busy. We’ve been goofing off pretty much all day.

**HEIJI** : My goof time is important to me!

**YUI** : You’ll value it more if you do it less, trust me. Come along.

_ She permits Heiji time to dry off and change, but that’s it. Soon we’re all marching to the supply closet to help her carry cleaning supplies up to the third floor. I imagine we’ll be doing much of the heavy lifting as well, but I don’t mind. I haven’t exactly been working out since coming here, barring my exhausting swim with Fumi a while ago. And, I guess, getting beaten with a stick by Noriko. _

_ The girls in here sure are worried about my level of physical activity. _

_ We locate brooms, dustpans, mops and mop buckets. The latter two we separate out from the mess, but don’t take with us. There’s no point in carrying buckets full of hot water to a room we haven’t swept yet, Yui insists. We also get lots of paper towels and rags for wiping things down, and continue our march upstairs. _

**HEIJI** : Shouldn’t you have grabbed other people? Why is it just us?

**YUI** : Don’t either of you care about the wellbeing of your peers? Just cooperate. Please.

**SHUJI** : Couldn’t get anyone else to come?

**YUI** : ...Maybe. 

_ She opens the closet door with gusto, but stops in her tracks. _

**SHUJI** : Is it worse than you remember?

**HEIJI** : It can’t be worse than my bedroom back home, c’mon.

_ We step in as well, claiming almost all of the standing room in the closet, and stop as well. _

//Shuji, Heiji, and Yui stand in the doorway, faces pale with shock. Shuji looks particularly aghast, but you cannot yet see what is in the room.

_ Everything in the room, the clutter, the people, the instruments, seem to fade away entirely. All I can see is the figure draped across the pile of junk, completely limp. _

_ Shakily, I take one step forward. And another.  _

_ Maybe they’re sleeping, some inane voice in my head says.  _

_ When I reach them, to touch them, the blood down their front is still wet. _

//Finally, it is revealed. Bo Moreau is sprawled unceremoniously across the pile of instruments, arms and legs outstretched, covered in blood from the neck down. Their throat has clearly been torn, and their hood is askew enough that you can see that their eyes are closed.

_ We were just talking to them. _

_ They were just here. _

_ They were...we were… _

_ I’m shaking uncontrollably now. _

_ Despite all the death I’ve already seen, my brain refuses to comprehend the image in front of me. I see them, and my brain wants to tell me that it’s just like Bo to fall asleep in such a weird place. That they should really keep practicing that game if they want to get better. That I should have been nicer about them being bad at it. _

_ I fall to my knees and weep. _

_ What else can you do? _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you tell me you want to kill me for what I've just done: first of all, fair. Second of all, I can't be killed so jot that down.
> 
> Real talk though, I am so sorry. It only gets worse.
> 
> Investigation will be up Monday, the 14th! If you'd like to yell at me, please do so in the comments. I deserve it.


	31. Chapter Three: Panic (Investigation)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

**YUI** : Wh...why hasn’t there been a body discovery announcement? There’s always...there’s always an announcement.

**HEIJI** : Maybe they’re not dead!

_ Heiji leaps over me, nearly colliding with Bo’s body in the process, and places his fingers on their neck.  _

**YUI** : Anything? Is there a pulse?

**HEIJI** : Um. Maybe there’s too much...blood...to feel it…

_ He grabs their wrist, next, smearing blood on their hoodie. They’re completely limp as he does this. _

**HEIJI** : I...They’re cold. There’s nothing.

**THE FEY** : Wowsers! 

_ Yui screams in surprise as The Fey materializes in the doorway. _

**THE FEY** : [Over loudspeakers] Hey, everyone! You guys are really incredible. Get your butts to the third floor music room ASAP.

**SHUJI** : How could this happen?

**THE FEY** : That’s for me to know, and you to find out, sucker. But I’m honestly impressed! Impressed. 

_ It only takes a moment for everyone to show up, but since there’s such limited room in the closet, they all stand in the hallway. I can’t even bring myself to turn to look at them. That would require standing, and I’m not sure I’m up to that right now. I can hear the murmurs, though, and that is already enough to overwhelm me. _

_ I want to cover my eyes, to sob, to run away and stay in my room until this stops being real. _

_ I can’t, though. I can’t dislodge my eyes from Bo’s body. _

_ There’s just so much blood. _

**ISEI** : What’s going on? Did someone…

**THE FEY** : Die? Yes! Kill? Of course! I’m proud of you guys!

**ROXXY** : I don’t get it! There wasn’t even a motive!

**THE FEY** : I know, right?! And you guys haven’t even seen the best part!

**AIKA** : What part?

**THE FEY** : The other...uh...I mean…

**NORIKO** : The other  _ what _ ?!

**THE FEY** : ...Buffering…

**KYO** : Did they say “buffering” out loud?

**THE FEY** : You guys better start investigating! There’s some good stuff out there. Really good material. You little monsters, heehee!

!!! INVESTIGATION: START !!!

_ This is the part where I move.  _

_ This is the part where I shake off my grief and solve the murder like I’ve done twice before. _

_ I can’t bring myself to stand. There’s a vague thought in my head urging my legs to move but they sure don’t seem to be doing it. Hot tears stream down my face and blur my vision. I can’t see. I don’t want to see.  _

_ Maybe just this once, I should be allowed to sit this one out.  _

_ Heiji crouches down in front of me. He still has blood on his hands. Bo’s blood.  _

**HEIJI** : Come on, man. The time for goofin’ is over. 

_ The rational, whole part of me wants to respond, it’s got some witty comeback. Something about how I deserve this time, how I can only take so much. What comes out of my mouth is halfway between a hiccup and a sob.  _

_ Heiji puts a hand on my shoulder.  _

**HEIJI** : Stand up.

_ I look up at him, eyes temporarily clear, and he looks sterner, more steady, than I’ve ever seen him before. There is a calmness about him. He doesn’t look like he’s not taking this seriously, as I might have expected. His eyes are sad, but he seems to be in control of his emotions.  _

_ God, I wish that were me.  _

_ Heiji extends a hand to help me up. I take it. His fingers still have Bo’s blood on them. I try not to notice. _

**SHUJI** : I don’t know where to start.

**HEIJI** : Damn dude, neither do I. I’m usually just on body watch duty; I’m not smart enough to hack this murder investigation thing. But you are. We need you on this. 

**SHUJI** : I don’t know if I can. Bo is like a sibling to me. Can you imagine losing Fumi and having to investigate that?

**HEIJI** : Yeah, dude, it haunts my nightmares. And if that did happen, which I won’t let it, I would give my all to making sure whatever scumbag that killed my sister would get caught.

_ He’s got a good point. If there’s anything I know how to do, it’s compartmentalize.  _

_ I wipe my face with my sleeves, and take a big breath.  _

_ I’m feeling a lot right now, but it’s just going to have to wait until tomorrow.  _

_ For the first time since I saw Bo’s body, I actually take a look around. Heiji and I are the only ones in the music closet as it’s too small to hold the whole group. There are a few people milling around in the hall outside, but it seems like others have already gone to investigate other areas. I turn around, putting my back to the door, and face Bo again.  _

[Bo’s Body] / [Music Closet] / [Fey File]

**[SELECT: Bo’s Body]**

_ Just looking at them hurts me. But it’s like Heiji said, I have to find the scumbag who did this to them. I approach their body cautiously.  _

_ It looks like their throat was cut, but not cleanly. I can’t imagine what kind of knife would do this or if someone was just hacking at their throat and I really don’t want to picture that. Blood soaks the entire front of their body. But it doesn’t look like there’s blood anywhere else.  _

_ No, that’s wrong. There’s a streak of blood that Heiji left on their hoodie after checking their pulse and as I lift up their hand to inspect for defensive wounds, I see their hands are covered in blood as well. Despite the blood, I can’t see any defensive wounds like scratches. _

[EVIDENCE GET! State of Bo’s body]

_ When I pull away, not knowing what else to check for, I see my hands have blood on them as well. The blood is still wet.  _

_ I feel sick.  _

**[SELECT: Music Closet]**

_ The available space in this room is very limited. The cleaning equipment Heiji and I brought has been shoved into the corner, but it is still a significant enough addition to make the space feel even more cramped.  _

_ I try to look around for any additional clues among the clutter of the instruments or even the space between Bo and the door. There’s nothing to look at though. Nothing seems particularly out of place.  _

_ Hold up. In fact, the room is completely unchanged. As in, there isn’t a drop of blood in this room other than on Bo.  _

_ That’s gotta mean something.  _

[EVIDENCE GET! Lack of blood]

**[SELECT: Fey File]**

_ I always forget to check these until last. I open up my tablet to see what information The Fey provided.  _

_ Error message.  _

_ I try refreshing the page.  _

_ Error message.  _

**SHUJI** : Hey, The Fey! 

_ The Fey appears. _

**THE FEY** : What do you want?

**SHUJI** : Where’s the Fey File?

**THE FEY** : [Irritated] Not yet, numb nuts. Haven’t you ever heard of pacing?!

_ The Fey leaves before I can say anything else.  _

_ Well that was stupid and pointless. I’d better move on. _

**ISEI** : Hey, are you done in there? I’d like a look around.

**SHUJI** : Oh, yeah. Sorry.

_ I shuffle out, and Isei shuffles in. He looks tired. I’m sure we all do. With such limited room, we’re having to take turns looking at the body. At Bo. I shake my head.  _

_ Heiji stays behind to keep an eye on them. It’s all he can do.  _

_ Where to next? _

_ Unfortunately, that decision is made for me. _

_ Kyo stumbles out of the theatre doors, looking alarmingly pale. _

**KYO** : Guys...there’s another one.

**YUI** : Another what?

**KYO** : I...uh...it’s Miki…

**ROXXY** : What happened to Miki?!

_ My feet carry me over to them before I can think through what might have happened. I push past Kyo, move into the theatre, see nothing awry. Kyo comes in behind me, and I look over my shoulder at them in askance. _

_ Wordlessly, they point toward the projector room. I nod and keep moving.  _

_ I expect the world to grind to stop, as it usually does when I see a dead body. I expect time to stutter as I lay eyes on a human body, devoid of life. I expect things to click--either into place or wildly out of place. I expect a change. _

_ Instead, I see Miki’s body and I feel nothing at all. _

//Miki Dan is on the table, their head lolling to the side, their eyes closed. Bright pink and blue smears are around their mouth, and words are dramatically scratched into the table itself. The words “KATHERINE” and “BETRAYAL” are clearly visible.

_ Do you ever have a day with so much going on that you think, “This might as well happen”? That’s the level of resigned I am when I see all this. Too much death will do that to a person.  _

_ More people have gathered, following Kyo and me to the body. There’s still no fanfare, as we’ve come to expect from The Fey. Just a body on a table.  _

**THE FEY** : You found it! Isn’t this amazing?

**ROXXY** : Not the word I’d use! This is awful!

**THE FEY** : Well I, personally, am amazed. No motive, and TWO deaths?! You kiddos really know how to go above and beyond. You’re fucking monsters! Murderers! For fun! I’m ecstatic. Anywhere, here’s your Fey Files. Let’s hope nobody else drops dead before the trial kehehee!

_ The Fey disappears, and all of our tablets update with the information it provides. _

_ Well, that’s depressing. _

_ I guess I’d better look around in here, too. Good thing I was already done with the other crime scene. My skin crawls thinking about it. _

**KATHERINE** : What...is this?

_ Uh oh. _

**SHUJI** : Katherine--

**KATHERINE** : My name…?

_ Her name  _ is _ carved pretty prominently next to Miki’s dead body. That does seem pretty suspicious. Her eyes seem almost glazed over looking at all of this. _

**SHUJI** : Katherine, did you do this?

**KATHERINE** : What? No. I didn’t…

_ Wow, she’s really out of it. Her makeup is still streaked down her face, and she’s really disheveled. _

_ I look around the room, and back at her. _

_ There’s no way this isn’t an obvious frame job. As the victim of a previous frame job, I feel somewhat responsible for her. _

**SHUJI** : Do you want to investigate with me?

**KATHERINE** : Huh? Uh...sure. I guess.

_ At the very least, maybe babysitting her will keep me from falling on the ground and weeping. _

[Miki’s Body] / [Projector Room] / [Desk] / [Fey File] / [Aika + Noriko]

**[SELECT: Miki’s Body]**

_ Miki is lying on their back, eyes closed, head to the side. They look peaceful, especially compared to Bo’s horribly bloody repose. I try not to think about it. _

_ First, I look at the blue and pink smears around their mouth. I look at Katherine’s makeup. Her lipstick sure is blue and pink. Still… _

_ I swallow the lump in my throat and touch their face. The smears on their face look strange. I brush at it with my thumb, and it immediately begins to come off in flakes. I pick up one of the flakes. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Katherine? What do you use to get your lips that color?

**KATHERINE** : ...Lipstick?

**SHUJI** : Okay. That’s what I thought.

_ This is definitely paint. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Flakes of paint]

_ But that’s not the only weird thing about Miki’s mouth. There’s a little bit of white something on their lips. It looks like foam. I’m not super willing to touch this, but on a gamble I bend down and take a sniff. _

_ Ugh, gross. _

_ That definitely smells like puke. _

_ I’m glad I didn’t touch it. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Mysterious Foam]

_ Moving on, I notice their hands are balled up. It’s the only aspect of their pose that doesn’t make them seem like they’re just napping in an unconventional place. It looks like they’re holding something, too… _

_ I pry open their fingers and find some pink fuzz.  _

**KATHERINE** : Oh...from my jacket?

_ It does seem to match her jacket pretty one for one.  _

[EVIDENCE GET! Pink fuzz]

_ Now that I’m already looking at their hands, I notice thin scratches along their hands and wrists. They look recent, too, not like old scars at all. They’re too thin and regular to be fingernail scratches, but I can’t figure out where they might have come from. I definitely didn’t notice them earlier today… _

_ But then again, earlier today I wasn’t investigating a murder. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Miki’s Scratches]

_ I dig around in Miki’s pockets, next, half expecting Katherine to yell at me for disrespecting the body. She doesn’t. She doesn’t do anything.  _

_ I find Miki’s tablet, and 3 nails. I pull them out, puzzled, and look at them closer. All of them are bent, like they’ve been hit with a hammer or removed from something. Weird. Why would they have these? _

[EVIDENCE GET: Bent Nails]

**SHUJI** : Are you okay, Katherine?

**KATHERINE** : Okay? I…

_ She trails off, looking into the middle distance. It’s like she doesn’t even see Miki’s body. Her eyes shift over the room, and gradually come to the body on the table. She blinks slowly, and tears drip down her face, but her expression does not otherwise change. _

_ I guess that’ll have to suffice for an answer. I need to keep moving. _

**[SELECT: Desk]**

_ I guess I can’t ignore the giant words scratched into the table. They take up pretty much all of the surface area that isn’t occupied by Miki themself. _

_ They read “KATHERINE” and “BETRAYAL.” _

_ Hmm. Pretty straightforward. _

_ I look at Katherine, who just looks vaguely puzzled looking at the words.  _

_ I inspect them more closely, running my fingers along them.They’re carved into the surface of the table, supposedly by Miki. Given that Miki lacks any tools, I guess I should assume they did this with their fingernails. _

_ Curious, I try to scratch at the surface of the table. Then I try to scratch harder. The surface of the table is pretty hard plastic, and it doesn’t seem to be budging. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Katherine? Can you try to scratch this?

_ Katherine silently obliged, her longer nails scratching against the table uselessly. No mark is made. _

_ To reiterate: Hmm. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Table Surface]

_ Other than the words directly on the surface, I try to see if there’s anything else notable. The chair that goes with the table is knocked over. _

_ Could that be signs of a struggle? I’m unsure. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Knocked over chair]

**SHUJI** : Still with me, Katherine?

**KATHERINE** : I suppose.

_ That’s gonna have to be good enough. _

**[SELECT: Projector Room]**

_ I turn away from the table and Miki’s body to look at the room as a whole.  _

_ The projector room is always pretty dim, the lights obscured by the tall racks of films. I move into the racks a little bit, superficially looking for evidence, and almost literally stumble over it. _

_ Two buckets of paint hit my ankles and I nearly crash into one of the racks. I cling onto it and it wobbles as if I’m about to send it crashing into the others, burying whoever might be between them on the other side. _

**KATHERINE** : Careful.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I’ll try.

_ I squat to get a closer look at the paints. _

_ Sure enough, one is blue and one is pink.  _

_ Well, that mystery is solved. _

_ Between the two cans is what appears to be a woodworking knife. I recognize it from the workshop. It’s got a black plastic shaving clinging to it. _

_ Okay, two mysteries solved.  _

[EVIDENCE GET: Hidden Equipment]

_ Not sure where else to go from here, I pull out my tablet. Let’s see what The Fey file has to tell me. _

> FEY FILE #03  
>  VICTIM: Bo Moreau  
>  TIME OF DEATH: 12:20 PM  
>  TIME OF DISCOVERY: 12:55 PM  
>  SITE OF DISCOVERY: 3rd Floor Music Closet  
>  CAUSE OF DEATH: Exsanguination

_ Oh, wrong one. Most of it I could have guessed, I suppose. I mean, I’m guessing at what exsanguination means but I’m guessing...sanguine is blood, ex is out...so loss of blood? _

_ I’ll ask Aika later, but I’d better look at Miki’s. _

> FEY FILE #04  
>  VICTIM: Miki Dan  
>  TIME OF DEATH: 12:22 PM  
>  TIME OF DISCOVERY: ???  
>  SITE OF DISCOVERY: 3rd Floor Project Room  
>  CAUSE OF DEATH: Histotoxic hypoxia 

_ Yikes, and I thought I’d have to ask Aika about cause of death for Bo. Is that even Japanese? _

_ I frown at the fact that the time of discovery is obscured. I hadn’t thought it was particularly important in the last cases, but if this is hidden...Hmm. _

_ I guess all of that is stuff to consider. _

**[SELECT: Aika + Noriko]**

_ Since the chaos has subsided a little bit, it seems like more people have come to explore the room. Right now the only ones actively poking around are Aika and Noriko. Noriko, presumably to guard the body as has been her thing, and Aika to cause problems most likely. _

**SHUJI** : Hey. Have you guys found anything noteworthy?

**AIKA** : Well, I did solve the case. You’re welcome.

**NORIKO** : Aika, you have to realize this is a really obvious frame-job.

**AIKA** : Occam’s Razor, much?

**SHUJI** : Uhh…

**NORIKO** : She’s been saying this since we found the body. Occam’s Razor is a law that states that the simplest solution is often the correct one.

**SHUJI** : I guess that’s true but...you don’t think this is all a little obvious?

**AIKA** : Nuh-uh. Katherine did it.

**NORIKO** : Right. Like Shuji killed Kata? You were pretty firm on that, last time.

**AIKA** : This one literally has her name on it. A bit hard to miss, don’t you think?

**NORIKO** : There is a simple way to find out. Katherine; did you do this?

**KATHERINE** : All this? ...No, I…

_ She trails off. She’s been doing that a lot. I guess I can’t blame her. _

**SHUJI** : She said no.

**AIKA** : Yeah, that was really convincing.

**NORIKO** : We’ll discuss this later. In the trial. Shuji, did you have something you wanted to ask us?

**SHUJI** : Oh, right. Actually, I wanted to ask about the Fey Files. Aika, do you know what uh…

_ I read from my tablet. _

**SHUJI** : Histotoxic hypoxia is?

**AIKA** : It’s when air isn’t getting to your cells.

**NORIKO** : Like being strangled? I didn’t see bruises--

**AIKA** : No. It’s on a cellular level. It can come from severe lung issues, or pain medication, or I suppose even anemia could do it.

**SHUJI** : Are you saying this is natural causes?

**AIKA** : They were poisoned. Cyanide does this.

**NORIKO** : That does make sense…

**SHUJI** : Thanks for the information. Can you tell me what Bo’s cause of death was as well?

**AIKA** : Blood loss. Come on, duh!

**SHUJI** : Right.

**AIKA** : I bet Katherine killed both of them. 

**KATHERINE** : Killed…?

**NORIKO** : Not helpful.

**SHUJI** : I’ll see you guys later, we’ve got a lot to do.

_ I start to lead Katherine to the doorway, back down into the theatre. _

**KATHERINE** : Are we done?

**SHUJI** : For this room, I guess. We’ve gotta keep looking around.

**KATHERINE** : Oh. Okay.

**SHUJI** : Hey, are you holding up alright? It looks like someone framed you. That’s pretty upsetting.

_ Not to mention their partner is dead. _

**KATHERINE** : Why would someone do that?

**SHUJI** : I don’t know. We’ve gotta find out, though, right?

**KATHERINE** : Do we…? I don’t know.

**SHUJI** : Okay. Well. I know that we’ve gotta find out because it seems related to the case. Wanna keep me company?

**KATHERINE** : ...Okay.

_ Is this what I’m like when I get bad? Was this what Heiji was dealing with when he forced me to stand up and look for clues?  _

_ I shake my head. This room is done, I think, so I have to figure out somewhere else to look. _

_ I remember the paint cans and woodworking tool. Those had to have come from the workshop, so I guess I’ll start there. _

_ My hunch is rewarded as soon as I step through the door. All of the lockers are open, and there’s just a literal pile of stuff on the table closest to the door. Okay. Lots to look at. Good. I want to be kept busy. _

[Pile] / [Lockers] / [Kyo + PV]

**[SELECT: Pile]**

_ Okay, there seems to be a lot of stuff in this pile. Notably, a lot of sharp stuff. There are nails sticking out every which way, there’s cloth, there’s a nail gun, there’s razor wire--it’s a mess. A mess I don’t really want to approach without gloves of some kind. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Katherine? 

**KATHERINE** : Huh?

**SHUJI** : Can you get me some work gloves? I think they’re in one of the lockers.

**KATHERINE** : Oh...I didn’t know that. Okay.

_ She wanders over to the lockers, drawing looks from Kyo and PV, but manages to find some gloves and brings them back to me. She might be a little bit of a zombie right now, but at least she’s trying to be helpful. _

_ I put on the gloves and start separating things out. _

_ There are lots of cords and ropes and things, as well as plenty of very sharp things. I start organizing them based on “scary” and “not scary,” but that almost immediately proves less useful than I thought when I find a towel absolutely soaked in blood. _

_ Katherine seems to recoil at the sight of it. _

**SHUJI** : Sorry. Do you not do well with blood?

**KATHERINE** : It’s gross.

**SHUJI** : Yeah. I’m guessing this didn’t come from Miki’s crime scene…

[EVIDENCE GET! Blood-soaked Towel]

_ I guess that goes in the “scary” section, even though it’s not sharp. _

_ Other things in the “scary” section are as follows: a nail gun, several very sharp nails, and a spool of razor wire that looks suspiciously bloody. I can’t tell from looking if the blood came from the towel or if it is independently bloody, but I’m definitely not a fan of this. _

_ I shudder as I put it down. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Bloody Razor Wire]

_ The non-scary pile is mostly taken up by long bits of string. The longest piece is knotted up at either end, and when I pick it up I notice it smells strongly of glue.  _

**SHUJI** : What is all of this?

**KATHERINE** : I don’t like it.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, no kidding. It smells like blood and glue. Ugh.

[EVIDENCE GET! Knotted String]

_ There’s more of this string, too. Some of it is a lot more tangled, but it seems like there’s at least a few lengths of it, some in different thicknesses. I’m not sure what to make of it. _

_ The pile now thoroughly sorted through, I abandon my gloves nearby for other people to use if they want to sort through it independently. _

**[SELECT: Lockers]**

_ Now these definitely don’t look as I last left them. To be fair, I haven’t been spending loads of time in the workshop or anything, but I think I would’ve heard about someone picking up a craft over the last few days. _

_ No, these look like they were pawed through in a hurry. Things are strewn everywhere, to the point where it’s hard to approach the lockers too directly without stepping on stuff. I had hoped that if it had come to this, we’d be able to check the inventory sheets to find out what was missing--but this is too chaotic. There’s no way we have time to clean this up and find out what’s gone. _

_ Plus, I have an idea of some things that are probably missing. Namely a few paint cans and a woodworking knife. _

_ Still, the fact that this is all in shambles must mean something, right? _

[EVIDENCE GET! Messy Lockers]

**[SELECT: Kyo + PV]**

_ Kyo and PV are hanging out near the messy pile toward the front of the room. I figure I’d better sound them out for information too, while I can. _

**PV** : This wouldn’t have happened if we had some leadership.

**KYO** : I don’t know why you’re coming to me with this.

**PV** : People listen to you! I think if we had some of my ideas--

**KYO** : People could listen to you too, if you talked with them. I don’t think now is the time to be talking about this.

**PV** : It’s never the time. That’s why these murders keep happening.

**SHUJI** : Hey guys. 

**KYO** : Shuji! Are you okay?

**SHUJI** : I don’t think so. Sorry.

**KYO** : No, that’s okay. It’s good that you’re...well. I guess we can talk about it later.

**PV** : And Katherine. What an interesting choice of companionship, Shuji. Her name  _ was _ all over the crime scene. Quite literally.

**KATHERINE** : Hi.

**SHUJI** : She’s pretty out of it right now. Can you blame her? Did you guys find anything?

**PV** : We can discuss what we found in the trial.

**KYO** : Oh, I’ve got something. I think I...God, this is terrible to say out loud. I think I was the last person to see Miki.

**PV** : Other than, of course, the murderer.

**SHUJI** : Did you notice anything weird?

**KYO** : This wasn’t long after we quit playing the game. Maybe 12? 12:15? We were on the third floor, and they asked if I’d seen Katherine. I hadn’t, not since we were playing, so I told them that. They headed toward the theatre after that.

**SHUJI** : Wow, that sounds important.

**KATHERINE** : Looking for...me…

_ She looks away, tears brimming in her eyes. _

**PV** : Is she...alright?

**KYO** : She’s been through a lot today. Let’s cut her some slack.

**PV** : [Clears throat.] Katherine, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but I don’t think you killed Miki.

_ Katherine doesn’t respond. _

**SHUJI** : Thanks, guys. I should probably keep looking around.

**KYO** : Yeah, good luck.

**PV** : Godspeed.

_ I lead Katherine to the exit, and try to figure out where to go from here. I guess the only other place on this floor is the game room, so I head in that direction. _

_ Immediately upon entering the hallway I can tell something is amiss. The closer I get, the stronger the smell of blood is. I feel sick. Before I even enter the game room, I know this is where Bo was murdered. _

_ There’s a giant pool of blood taking up much of the doorway into the game room. To get inside the room, I’ll have to cross it.  _

_ I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to ignore the copper-scent in the air.  _

[Blood] / [Doorframe] / [Game Room] / [Fumi + Yui]

**[SELECT: Blood]**

_ I steel myself before kneeling. The blood completely fills the gap between the runner rug in the hallway and the lush carpeted game room, staining the light hardwood a cherry brown. The blood spills both into the room and the hallway, and is impossible to navigate around. _

_ I feel sick. It smells so fresh. _

_ I do notice, however, that the blood between the rug and the carpet seems to have been mopped up. It’s definitely soaked into the carpet and rug, as well, but even those seem to be scrubbed somewhat.  _

_ Someone tried to clean this, I think. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Partially-Cleaned Bloodstain]

**[SELECT: Door frame]**

_ While looking at the blood, I can’t help but notice something seems off about the doorframe. I inspect it closer, and it definitely seems like something is weird. _

_ The wood of the doorway is scuffed up, with bits of something clinging to it. Without thinking, I reach out and touch it. I’m glad my hand doesn’t come away slimy, but honestly if it had, that would have been what I got for just sticking my hands in places. _

_ The substance clinging to it is hard, off-white, and slightly translucent. Impulsively, I try to pick some of it off of the wall. It comes off in my hand, and I bring it closer to my face. Even with the overpowering scent of blood in the air, I can tell it smells like glue. _

_ Curious, I look at the walls at about the same height from the floor. Sure enough, a few feet down the hallway is another spot where something gluey might have been. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Glue in Hallway]

_ From here, I have no other option than to enter the room. I gesture for Katherine to go first, and her long legs are able to skip over the pool of blood without issue. I try to mimic the elongated walk, but I still think my heel lands in some blood on the far side. _

_ I try not to think about it. _

**[SELECT: Game Room]**

_ The game room itself looks almost exactly like I left it. _

_ A lump forms in my throat. Bo was on their way here to practice that stupid fighting game. If I’d gone with them, if I hadn’t decided I was bored of games… _

_ Would I have been able to help? Would I have saved them? _

_ I don’t know. _

_ I can’t know, yet. _

_ I need to solve this puzzle before I can know who to blame. _

_ Deep breaths. Keep moving. _

_ Nothing sticks out as obviously wrong. The book cases are a little bit out of order, but I don’t know when that could have happened. For all I know, I left them like that last time I went looking for a game. It’s not evidence. Besides the big pool of blood, nothing is wrong with the floor. There’s no signs of struggle. _

_ Frustrated, I look in stupid places. I try to find something that could have killed Bo, some evidence that might help me solve this. I look behind the books, I look behind the TV, I look under the table, I look along the-- _

_ Along the walls. _

_ There’s a nail embedded in the wall across from the book case. _

_ That can’t have always been there. _

[EVIDENCE GET! Nail in Wall]

_ I suppose it could have just been there to hang a picture on, but it’s not as thoroughly in the wall as one would expect for that purpose. I can’t know for sure it’s connected, yet, but I’m still going to try to remember it. _

[SELECT: Fumi + Yui]

_ Fumi and Yui are standing by the table. There’s still some D&D stuff set up on it. Somehow the sight of it twists my stomach. I look away. _

**FUMI** : Hey, Katherine. Are you okay?

**KATHERINE** : …

**SHUJI** : I don’t think she’s holding up too well. 

**FUMI** : I understand. She’s been through a lot today.

**SHUJI** : What do you mean? Besides the, uh, obvious.

**YUI** : Let’s not speak about her as though she’s not here.

**FUMI** : Oh, well, I got concerned. After I saw you downstairs, remember?

**KATHERINE** : Downstairs…?

**FUMI** : You don’t remember? 

**KATHERINE** : [Shaking her head] When was this? Today?

**FUMI** : It was probably 12:30, I think? I was in the library, and I came out to go downstairs for lunch. I said hi, and you gave me the most terrifying look I’ve ever seen in my life!

**KATHERINE** : …?

**FUMI** : Oh, that was really rude. I don’t mean your face is scary! It’s just...ahh...really scary…

**KATHERINE** : Oh. I’m sorry.

**FUMI** : Don’t be sorry! I’m really flubbing this conversation, huh…

**YUI** : I’d assume it was a reaction to what happened during the game. Kyo told me that Miki reacted a little violently during the session.

**FUMI** : Oh, I guess that’s why you were upset?

**KATHERINE** : Yeah.

**FUMI** : What happened in the game?

**YUI** : Kyo made non-player characters to mimic some of the people in here. One of them was similar to Aika, I believe. According to what Kyo and Isei both told me, Miki violently killed the NPC unprompted. From there they and Katherine left the room, obviously distressed.

**FUMI** : Oh, I’m so sorry Katherine! I didn’t know about that. That does explain the scary face, though.

[EVIDENCE GET! Yui and Fumi’s Testimony]

**KATHERINE** : Scary face…

**FUMI** : Sorry…

**YUI** : I don’t think she’s offended at having a scary countenance. She was a prominent horror actress, remember?

**KATHERINE** : Yeah, I was.

**YUI** : There you have it. No offense taken?

**KATHERINE** : None.

**FUMI** : That’s a relief!

_ The conversation just falls into silence after that. I try to smile encouragingly at Fumi and Yui, but they frown at me in unison. I guess I’m not being very convincing. I usher Katherine away, trying to figure out where to go next. _

_ We traverse the puddle of blood, but before we can proceed too much further, the speakers throughout the house crackle to life. _

**THE FEY** : Hey, little monsters! The trial’s on in 3! Be there or be DEAD! Hehehehee…

_ I guess our time’s up, if we’ve gotta walk all the way to the trial room from here. _

_ We walk in silence, but before we enter the courtroom I grab Katherine’s arm. _

**SHUJI** : Hey. I don’t know what it’s like losing someone you’re dating, but I know it has to be really bad. You haven’t really been reacting. I think you’ll need to, eventually, or you’ll just blow up.

_ Maybe literally, given how bad her blow ups usually are. _

**KATHERINE** : I can’t.

**SHUJI** : You can’t?

**KATHERINE** : I can’t be feeling this. I refuse. I refuse to experience this. 

**SHUJI** : Katherine…

**ISEI** : Hey, you guys should get in here. It’s counting down the seconds now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double whammy!!
> 
> Trial will be up in one week, on the 21st! Please feel free to comment your theories, anger, sadness, desire to materialize in my home with a knife, etc!


	32. Chapter Three: Panic (Trial)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to find out what happened! You know how this goes :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for mild mentions of suicidality! It's not very detailed, but it is a plot point so tread with caution please!

**ISEI** : Hey, you guys should get in here. It’s counting down the seconds now.

_ Yikes. I scuttle in and sit in my seat. _

**THE FEY** : Welcome to the most exciting thing that’s ever happened in the six months of my existence! 

**HEIJI** : I can’t believe The Fey is a baby…

**ROXXY** : I can. 

**THE FEY** : This time, one of you brats killed for absolutely no reason. Blood lust, maybe? I didn’t give you shit to go off of and you just decided to kill. But, here I go, I said  _ one _ of you brats! It could be any number of you!

**PV** : Can we just get to the trial?

**THE FEY** : Of course, of course. I’d hate to make your lives difficult. :)

**HEIJI** : [Crying] How’d she say that out loud?

**KYO** : What is it talking about? It loves making our lives difficult.

**THE FEY** : Begin your trial! NOW!!

**YUI** : I suppose we should begin by looking over those scenes in a general sense.

**NORIKO** : That seems like the place to start.

**PV** : Bo was killed by having their throat cut, I believe. Which leads me to believe that--

**KATHERINE** : I did it.

**SHUJI** : What?

**KATHERINE** : I killed them. I did it.

**AIKA** : Case closed, I guess.

**FUMI** : I...appreciate that you’re going through a lot right now, Katherine. We can tell you’re struggling to cope with this. That’s okay. 

**ROXXY** : Yeah, don’t worry Kathy-chan! We’ll get through this together. We promise!

**KATHERINE** : I…

**AIKA** : I believe her. She’s got murderer written all over her face. And her name written all over the crime scene.

**NORIKO** : We’ve been through this. She’s obviously been framed.

**KYO** : And now the poor thing believes it herself. She’s obviously not well, we can’t take this confession seriously.

**PV** : Just entertaining the concept for a moment; how do we know that she was framed, definitively?

**ROXXY** : C’mon, it was way too obvious. Her name, just written out? Who does that?

**AIKA** : Dying people, trying to get a last message out, mayhaps?

**PV** : We have to admit that it is pretty damning. Unless someone has evidence other than ‘it’s too obvious?’

**AIKA** : Face the facts, people. There was blue and pink marks on their face, matching Katherine’s lipstick. There was pink fuzz in their hands, matching Katherine’s jacket. There was Katherine’s  _ name _ scratched into the table!

**YUI** : The amount of evidence does seem fairly overwhelming.

**ISEI** : A little too overwhelming, though.

**HEIJI** : I think Virtual’s right about this one, though. We’re not gonna get anywhere saying something is just too “duh.”

**ROXXY** : Okay, how about the fact that the stuff on Miki’s face was paint? And I found the paint cans, like, in the room. How’s that for duh?

**HEIJI** : Oh damn! Really?

**ISEI** : There’s also the part where the table couldn’t be scratched by human fingernails? 

**AIKA** : People can do amazing things when they’re desperate. This is just an example of that.

**FUMI** : But there wasn’t anything wrong with Miki’s fingernails! Even if they could have scratched the table in their dying thrashing, I guess, it would have broken their fingernails. Right?

**YUI** : Unless, of course, they had some manner of tool on them.

**KYO** : You want me to buy that they prepared for getting killed and brought a special somethin’ with them in case they needed to carve something onto a table?

**NORIKO** : I did see a tool in the room, but...

**AIKA** : The woodcarving knife would have been sufficient to carve any dying message, I believe. It’s not ridiculous.

_ Hold up. _

**SHUJI** : Woodcarving knife?

**AIKA** : Hm?

**SHUJI** : How’d you know it was a woodcarving knife?

**AIKA** : Thorough investigation, of course.

**NORIKO** : You barely looked around. I was with you the whole time.

**AIKA** : ...My powers of observation are better than you thought.

**HEIJI** : Man, I’m confused. Where was this knife?

**SHUJI** : I found a woodcarving knife with bits of black plastic, like the table, by those same cans of paint Roxxy mentioned.

**AIKA** : It was almost definitely what Miki used to carve the message!

_ Come on, this is too easy. _

**SHUJI** : So Miki was murdered, took the time after being murdered to carve Katherine’s name and a bunch of other stuff on the desk, then, what? Threw the knife over with the cans? 

**PV** : [Amused.] Was this knife throwing before or after the murderer painted their face with literal paint?

**ROXXY** : Let me get this straight. Aika swanned in, declared Katherine the murderer, didn’t do any other investigation, but somehow knew the exact tool that Miki supposedly used to carve in their dying messages? Does anyone else smell fish?

**HEIJI** : Hey, guys! I think I solved who framed Katherine!

**FUMI** : Yeah, me too.

**[SELECT: Aika]**

**SHUJI** : Okay, Aika. Why did you frame Katherine?

**NORIKO** : No doubt to cover up her own crime. Aika may be the murderer we’re looking for.

**AIKA** : Hey! Just because I may have dabbled in some framing does not mean I’m a killer!

**NORIKO** : What did you keep saying earlier? “Occam’s Razor”?

**HEIJI** : Whose razor?

**ISEI** : It’s the theory that the most obvious solution is usually the correct one. 

**YUI** : Alright, but do we have any evidence that Aika killed Miki besides, once again, it seems obvious?

**KYO** : What is it they say on TV? Means, motive, opportunity?

**ROXXY** : There wasn’t a motive at all, this time.

**PV** : Not provided by The Fey, no…

**THE FEY** : God I love that. You guys are just pure evil. 

**ISEI** : Shut the fuck up, we’re thinking here.

**PV** : But someone could easily have their own reasons for wanting Miki dead.

**ROXXY** : But they were totally harmless!

**FUMI** : I mean, they did try to kill Heiji.

**HEIJI** : That’s ancient history. They really mellowed out after getting cuddly with Katherine, anyway.

**YUI** : That’s not entirely true, is it? I wasn’t there, so I’m not sure I should speak to it, but…

_ Yui and Isei both give me a significant look. Yui raises her eyebrow, encouraging me onward, while Isei chomps his lip hard enough it looks like it could draw blood. He’s too nervous to testify, so I guess it’s on me. _

**SHUJI** : Miki was acting pretty weird during Dungeons and Dragons today. Their, uh, character pretty outright murdered a character that was supposed to be similar to Aika.

**FUMI** : Oh yeah, I heard about that.

**ROXXY** : I didn’t! What happened?!

**NORIKO** : Miki’s character slit the Aika character’s throat in broad daylight.

**ROXXY** : Oh yikes…

**AIKA** : I didn’t even know about this! I wasn’t playing your stupid nerd game!

**PV** : That’s a good point. If Aika weren’t there, would she be responding to that?

**KYO** : So we’re back to no motive at all?

**FUMI** : No, I think there’s still a motive here. Maybe. I think. Um. Maybe not?

**HEIJI** : Have confidence! What happened?

**FUMI** : A few people were there for this, but...remember Aika and Katherine’s big fight? In the theatre?

**ROXXY** : Right, Katherine threatened to rip Aika’s face off and stuff. 

**AIKA** : That’s motive to frame Katherine, not kill Miki! Yeah, maybe I wanted Katherine out of the picture. She’s scary, can you blame me? Why would I target Miki for what Katherine did?

**PV** : I suppose if you wanted to hurt Katherine enough, it wouldn’t be far fetched as far as trains of thought go.

**AIKA** : I think that assessment says more about you than it does about me, freak.

**KYO** : Let’s try looking at this from another angle. Motive is a maybe, but what about means?

**HEIJI** : Like, the weapon?

**KYO** : Yeah! What was Miki’s cause of death?

**YUI** : Histotoxic hypoxia.

**ROXXY** : Right. That. We all know what that means. (Fumi, do you have a dictionary on hand?)

**FUMI** : (No, sorry. I also don’t know what that is.)

**HEIJI** : Oh, I know this one! It’s where you’re not getting enough air to your cells!

**ISEI** : How’d you know that?

**HEIJI** : I had a friend with asthma in middle school! He was very up on reading all the medical literature. Did Miki die of asthma?

**PV** : Almost definitely not. There were clear signs that this was foul play.

**SHUJI** : You mean the foam on their lips, right?

**PV** : Good catch. It was a little hard to see because of all the paint. Thanks, Aika, by the way. But it smelled like vomit.

**YUI** : Poison, then. I thought as much.

**ROXXY** : Where would someone get poison, though?

**NORIKO** : Perhaps the cabinet of medicines in the infirmary. 

_ Didn’t I see someone near that cabinet recently? _

**SHUJI** : Cyanide would do that, right?

**AIKA** : Don’t act like you’re a genius. I told you that. 

**SHUJI** : Do you remember earlier today, Aika, when I tried to talk to you about feelings?

**AIKA** : Yeah. It was gross. What about it?

**SHUJI** : Weren’t you standing right by the cabinet with the cyanide in it?

_ She seems to remember, a dawning expression crossing her face briefly. _

**AIKA** : I see how this could seem incriminating.

**SHUJI** : If you weren’t speculating suicide, were you speculating murder?

**AIKA** : This is purely circumstantial! None of this is real, genuine evidence to execute me. May I remind you that that’s what’s on the line? An innocent person’s life?

**NORIKO** : As much as I hate to say it, I think she’s right. We may indeed come back to her as the culprit, but for now, we have other questions.

**ISEI** : For example, who killed Bo?

**KATHERINE** : I did!

**KYO** : [Pinching nose.] Not this again.

**PV** : I’ll entertain this for a moment. Why did you kill Bo?

**KATHERINE** : ...Why?

**PV** : Yes. Why did you kill them? Was it personal? Do you just crave death on some level?

**KATHERINE** : It doesn’t matter. They’re dead and I killed them.

**PV** : Why should we believe you? 

**KATHERINE** : Because I’m telling you to.

**PV** : Okay. How did they die?

**KATHERINE** : They...bled.

**YUI** : [Irritated.] Katherine, what made them bleed?

**FUMI** : Be nice to her! She lost someone she loves today! Can’t anyone cut her some slack?

**KATHERINE** : A...a nail. They were cut with a nail. Right?

**NORIKO** : I never got to see their body. How did they die?

_ My skin crawls as I think about it. I’m physically shivering now. I have to keep going, though. Nobody else is answering. _

**SHUJI** : They...their throat was slit. 

**HEIJI** : Didn’t Aika have a knife earlier? Not to throw shade or anything. But didn’t she? Couldn’t that go together?

**SHUJI** : No. The knife was clean other than the plastic, and anything that killed Bo would be covered in blood.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, I guess I got pretty bloody just from being near them.

**SHUJI** : The murder weapon was razor wire from the workshop.

**KYO** : Oh! From that pile?

**PV** : I couldn’t bring myself to touch it…It seemed like tetanus waiting to happen.

**KYO** : Eugh, lockjaw…

**PV** : Yeah, no thanks.

**SHUJI** : I went through it with some gloves on. There was bloody razor wire, and a bunch of other stuff I couldn’t really make sense of.

**HEIJI** : I have a question. There was no blood around Bo, except for what was on them, right? So where did all the blood go?

**FUMI** : There was a huge blood puddle by the game room.

**HEIJI** : [Paling.] You mean...they died in there? So somebody moved them?

**AIKA** : Technically, they died right outside of the game room.

**ROXXY** : So somebody came up behind them and killed them, then moved the body? [Shivers] This is just too much.

**ISEI** : Hmm…

_ Isei’s speculative noise gets my attention. He’s right, there’s something off about this version of events. Something about what Roxxy said… _

**SHUJI** : Wait, I don’t think they were killed like that. All that stuff in the workshop has to be important, right?

**AIKA** : Duh, that’s where the murder weapon was.

**SHUJI** : It’s also where a bunch of gluey rope and string was. I noticed some glue on the walls and door frame near the uh...the...the blood. What if it was a trap?

**PV** : The string glued to trip someone, and the razor wire glued to cut them when they fell? Clever.

**YUI** : A crime like that would be hard to solve. Anyone could claim to not know how to make the trap involved, and it would be easy to have an alibi at the time of the murder.

**NORIKO** : If they had an alibi, why would they return to the scene of the crime to move the body?

**FUMI** : I don’t know if it’s relevant, but it also looked like the blood had been cleaned up, a little bit? 

**PV** : I did notice the bloody towel in with the messy pile. Perhaps that was used?

**HEIJI** : Hey, rewind. Who  _ would _ know how to make a trap like that?

**AIKA** : I certainly don’t.

**NORIKO** : It can’t be difficult just to glue some things to the walls, can it? This doesn’t seem that complex, really.

**FUMI** : Oh...are we back to square one?

_ No, I don’t think we are. There was something else about the game room that indicated things were more complicated than that, wasn’t there? _

**SHUJI** : What if there was more than one trap? 

**ISEI** : There was more in that pile than materials for just one…

**SHUJI** : If someone set a series of traps, just to be sure, that would require a lot more thinking, right?

**NORIKO** : Did you find something else?

**SHUJI** : There was a nail gun in the pile, and a nail stuck in the wall of the game room, plus a bunch more strings with glue. I think there was more than one trap in there.

**ROXXY** : A nail gun to the head...yipes…

**YUI** : I believe something like that would require some level of cleverness, you’re right. 

**PV** : This is frustrating. We keep uncovering more and more evidence, but we feel no closer to solving either Bo  _ or _ Miki’s murder. 

**FUMI** : Maybe we need to look at them holistically. We’ve been treating them as two totally separate events, right? Is there anything that ties both of them together?

**YUI** : Hmm...Miki’s method of murder in the game was a slit throat, and Bo’s throat was slit.

**KATHERINE** : That doesn’t mean anything.

**SHUJI** : I found some bent nails in Miki’s pockets.

**AIKA** : You sure love going through dead people’s stuff. 

**KATHERINE** : That doesn’t mean anything!

**ROXXY** : I’ve seen Miki do their yoyo stuff. They’ve got pretty deft hands and a really sharp understanding of physics. I bet they could do something like this.

**KATHERINE** : You don’t know that!

_ This is starting to paint a pretty clear picture. _

**FUMI** : Hey, I didn’t mean this! Don’t try to villainize the dead!

**KATHERINE** : Yes! Listen to Fumi. Please.

**FUMI** : Anyway, if Miki were building stuff with razor wire there’s no way they wouldn’t cut themself, right? 

**ROXXY** : I guess that’s a good point...

_ Actually… _

**SHUJI** : They did have cuts on them though. 

**KATHERINE** : They did?

**SHUJI** : Yeah. Shallow, very thin. I don’t even think they were deep enough to bleed. Something that you could totally get from accidentally brushing up against something sharp.

**KYO** : Wow, I think we just solved half of this.

**HEIJI** : But why did they kill Bo?

**ISEI** : The traps were built indiscriminately. They weren’t trying to kill Bo. They were trying to kill at random.

_ I close my eyes for a moment after hearing that. They died for no reason? There was no vendetta? No confusion, no honorable backstory or sympathetic reasoning? They were killed at random. They lost their life because someone coldly calculated a trap to murder anyone at all. _

**YUI** : So, to reiterate: Miki built the traps, set them, waited for someone to stumble into them, and then cleaned up the crime scene, including removing the traps to make it harder to solve.

**FUMI** : That doesn’t make sense! They died like two minutes after Bo! They wouldn’t have had the time!

**KYO** : Plus, why bother with any of that? By cleaning it up, you make yourself look responsible. If you had an airtight alibi during the crime, why ruin that to go back and mess with it? Why move the body?

**PV** : It’s not too ridiculous to assume a third party might have tampered with the crime scene.

**ROXXY** : Yeah, Aika did it to Miki’s body. Hey, Aika, did you do it?

**AIKA** : Why would I? If I’d messed with both crime scenes, there’d be a theme, at least. In any case, the junk in the workshop was already there when I got there.

**HEIJI** : What were you doing in the workshop?

**AIKA** : [Sighs.] I found Miki’s body, and I saw an opportunity. I went to the workshop to get the paint and the knife, and then went to work. But there was already a bunch of shit in there.

**YUI** : Even if we had reason to bel--

**AIKA** : Wait! I think I just solved this for real!

**YUI** : I wish you wouldn’t interrupt me.

**PV** : Who do you think did it?

**AIKA** : Katherine! For real this time!

**YUI** : [Rolling eyes.] As I was saying. Aika is an untrustworthy source, but I do not believe she also meddled with this crime scene. She would have, I believe, continued to attempt the framing attempt rather than just confuse us.

**HEIJI** : I’m really confused as is. Can we go over the timeline again? Like, what happened to Miki?

**NORIKO** : They must have begun work on the traps not long after we finished with our game.

**HEIJI** : Shuji and Bo and I hung out in there for a little while after that, too.

**NORIKO** : And where did you go after that?

**HEIJI** : All of us went to get lunch. We goofed off for a while, and then Bo went upstairs.

**NORIKO** : So during that period, Miki must have set the traps. What time was that?

**SHUJI** : About noon.

**YUI** : Let’s assume it took them a few minutes to get them all into place. Then what?

**ROXXY** : Did anyone see them?

_ I know this one! _

**SHUJI** : Kyo did!

**KYO** : Kyo did! I mean, I did! I saw them at probably 12:15. They were asking about Katherine and headed toward the theatre.

**ISEI** : And they died at 12:22, just a few minutes later.

**FUMI** : And then I guess somebody found Bo and cleaned it up…?

**KYO** : I still don’t know why someone would do that.

**AIKA** : The most obvious answer is that they didn’t want us to know that Miki had done it.

**NORIKO** : Perhaps someone knew that Miki had done it, but didn’t want us speaking ill of the dead.

**PV** : That’s asking me to suspend my disbelief a little too much. We’ve spent this long figuring out Miki may have killed Bo, but they figured it out in the 30 minutes between Bo’s death and discovery?

**YUI** : I think you’re right. Someone would have to know about it.

**KYO** : Either they’re in cahoots with Miki, or...Hey, you said those traps would kill indiscriminately, right?

**ISEI** : Probably.

**FUMI** : What if...Miki didn’t want to risk someone falling into the trap. So they warned someone...that’s how they knew.

_ There’s only one person Miki cares about enough to warn about this. There’s really only one option here. _

**[SELECT: Katherine]**

**SHUJI** : Katherine...what happened after Miki told you about their plan to kill someone?

**KATHERINE** : I kissed them.

**ISEI** : With a cyanide capsule in your teeth, no doubt.

**KATHERINE** : I told you. I killed them.

**AIKA** : Hey, did anyone want to know where I found the pink fuzz I put in Miki’s hand?

**KYO** : Is now really the time?

**AIKA** : It was in the razor wire. You can’t pick that stuff up without cutting yourself. I bet she used her coat to carry it.

_ It’s true, she didn’t know about the work gloves in the shop. _

**KATHERINE** : I told you all along. I told you. Nobody listens, do they, though?

**PV** : I guess that one is honestly on us.

**FUMI** : I don’t understand. You love Miki! Why would you kill them?

_ Katherine looks away, as she often does. This time, however, there’s a distinct difference in her motions. Usually, she looks away out of disinterest or lack of attention. It’s a passively disrespectful act, I always thought, when she chooses to simply turn away from your words. But now...I can see her arms shaking as she holds herself. _

_ I don’t see a girl wishing to avoid the conversation, wishing to be anywhere else. I see a girl steeling herself. _

**KATHERINE** : They were going to murder someone.

**NORIKO** : They told you?

**KATHERINE** : Yes. They warned me not to go into the game room, or else I’d get hurt. They said they couldn't bear it…

**ROXXY** : But, like, why kill in the first place? They had no reason to, right?

**KATHERINE** : For me…

**YUI** : What do you mean by that?

**KATHERINE** : I...Haven’t been doing well. I know you’ve noticed.

**AIKA** : (No kidding.)

**ISEI** : Shut the fuck up Aika.

**AIKA** : Fine, jeez.

**KATHERINE** : I’m sorry, Aika-san. I am. I...can’t control it. The things I say, sometimes, they just pour out of me and...But I’m talking about Miki. They knew I was breaking under the pressure of being here. I’ve been...I…

_ Tears begin to fall, and her shoulders shake. _

_ Usually, when she emotes, it’s all at once. It comes out in a flood, or it’s stemmed by the dam of her apathy. Now it’s trickling out of her, despite the walls she’s put up. It’s harder to watch even than her full on break downs. _

**FUMI** : Keep going, Katherine, please. We want to understand.

_ Katherine takes a deep breath. _

**KATHERINE** : I’ve been considering suicide. There’s...you already know, but there’s cyanide in the infirmary. I’ve been carrying a pill around with me. Just in case. Just in case it got so bad that I couldn’t--Miki knew about it.

_ It dawns on me what might have happened, now. My whole body feels heavy. _

**SHUJI** : So they made a plan to get out. Right?

_ She nods, her eyes meeting mine. _

**KATHERINE** : They thought...they thought if they got out they could get help. Come rescue me. A little knight in shining armor...I...They were dangerous. They told me about their traps. They seemed manic, and refused to think that this might be a dangerous idea.

**ROXXY** : [Gasping.] So you were trying to protect everyone?

**KYO** : And they were trying to protect you…

**FUMI** : Oh my God…

**KATHERINE** : So I realized that even if...even if this trap idea failed. There’d be another. They’d kill to save me. So I...I killed to save them. And you.

**PV** : Did you honestly care that much about us? That doesn’t strike me as very on brand.

**NORIKO** : She didn’t want the stain of murder on Miki’s soul. I understand.

**KATHERINE** : Yes. So I...I put the pill in my mouth when they weren’t looking. I kissed them, and crushed the pill in their teeth.

**YUI** : And then you went to dismantle the traps.

**ISEI** : You didn’t want anyone to get hurt. At least, not by Miki.

**KATHERINE** : Yes.

_ Katherine nods again. She’s hugging herself tightly, shivering under the weight of all of this, tears dripping into her lap.  _

**SHUJI** : But somebody...Bo...was already dead. 

**KYO** : Why hide this from us? Why move Bo’s body?

**KATHERINE** : I knew I was going to confess. I knew I had to. I...I don’t want to live anymore. That’s fine. But I didn’t want all of you to think of Miki as some horrible monster. I thought...if I claimed responsibility…

**HEIJI** : Why not insta-confess, though?

**AIKA** : She was disassociating. Or something like that, right? Not in the right mind?

**KATHERINE** : I...when I have my emotional releases, my meltdowns, afterwards I can’t bring myself to feel anything at all. Doing what I did to Miki...I freaked out.

**HEIJI** : Dude, understandable.

**KATHERINE** : But during the investigation I was so numb. I didn’t even understand that I was being framed. I was just confused.

**PV** : To be fair to you, you did confess pretty much immediately when that state seemed to fade a little bit.

**YUI** : If you had not claimed responsibility for Bo’s murder, this trial would have been over a lot more quickly.

**KATHERINE** : I couldn’t let you believe the worst about Miki. I couldn’t. They only wanted to help me...they wanted to save me. 

**NORIKO** : We cannot condone your actions. You murdered someone. But...I think we can attempt to understand you.

**ROXXY** : Love makes people do stupid stuff.

**FUMI** : I...suppose it does…

**THE FEY** : Okay, that’s enough of whatever the hell that was. Gross. It’s time to find out if Little Miss Snowie here is a liar! Would she claim responsibility just as an easy way to commit suicide? Did Aika do it all along? Vote, bitches!

_ All of us, as one, exchange a look. We know what we have to do. Katherine nods, and gives a shaky smile to all of us. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile when Miki wasn’t around. _

**[SELECT: Katherine]**

**THE FEY** : Aw, nuts. You got it right. I guess you’ve got me there, Kathy was never the best actress. You’d have seen through her in a heartbeat. But let’s see her fantastic reprise as a horrifying ghost girl! Maybe this time she’ll get an Oscar for it! Hee hee!

**SHUJI** : Katherine...I’m sorry. I am so sorry.

**KATHERINE** : It’s not your fault, Shuji. And now...well, if there’s an afterlife. Miki will be there.

**AIKA** : Uh, you killed them. I’m not sure they’ll be happy to see you.

**KATHERINE** : You’re wrong. They’ll understand.

**THE FEY** : What a snooze-fest. It’s death time!

_ As the chain snakes over to Katherine, she gives us an understanding smile. Her last smile.  _

Material World

_ When the screen flickers to life, we see three chairs on what seems to be a movie set. The leftmost chair says DIRECTOR, the rightmost chair says LEAD ACTRESS. The middle one, however, draws my eyes the most. It’s bedazzled in pink and blue, but the word on it is just one: FAILURE. _

_ I think I can see where this is going. _

_ Katherine is dropped directly into the middle chair. It’s a clumsy fall, her long legs splayed awkwardly as she tries to get her bearings. Before she can look around, however, two large mannequin-shaped robots are dropped into the chairs at her sides. _

_ The one in the director chair is masculine, and tall. The one in the actress chair is smaller and feminine. Both of them grab onto Katherine’s arms, their metal hands forming strict handcuffs around her forearms. _

_ She resists this at first, but they’re strong. They drag her forward, and the camera’s perspective changes. Now we can see the larger area they’re in; it’s definitely a movie set. Bright lights shine into Katherine’s eyes as she flinches away.  _

_ The two robots drag her around to various scenes and sets in unison, going so fast that Katherine’s legs literally drag behind her. She has no chance of keeping up with them. They finally stop, seeming to give her a break, but this is when things start to get dire. _

_ The feminine figure begins tugging her to the left, while the masculine figure tugs her to the right. _

_ They’re strong, and she literally cannot escape their grasp. Discomfort contorts her face as she resists the pulling. They yank and pull on her, splaying her arms out wide, and we can see her start to sweat. _

_ However, it seems as though the two robots are at an impasse. No matter how hard they pull, she doesn’t budge in either direction.  _

_ So they call in trucks. _

_ Massive, cartoonishly painted monster trucks.  _

_ The feminine figure latches onto a neon pink truck, grasping it with the same iron grip with which she holds Katherine. The bed of the truck is filled with items: trophies, awards, makeup, glittery shoes, and pamphlets with the names of doctors and types of facial surgery boldly written on them. _

_ The masculine figure won’t be outdone, however, latching onto a neon blue truck of his own. The bed of this truck doesn’t seem to be filled with frivolous items, however. Instead, it’s filled with glistening, beautiful snow, and a log cabin. Through the windows of this cabin, I can see the silhouette of a family hugging a small child.  _

_ Both trucks begin revving up, and start moving in opposite directions. Katherine’s expression goes from one of discomfort to one of outright pain. _

_ I see her scream, and I look away. I can’t bear to see what happens to her next. _

_ Either way, when the music stops and the screen turns off, I know it to be true. _

_ Katherine Ueda, the Super High School Level Child Star, is dead. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> Well, yeah. That's all I've got. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Chapter 3 as a whole, on the trial, on...well, anything! We're almost to the halfway point, so it's a good time to hear thoughts I think.
> 
> Starting next Monday (the 28th) we're going back to an every other week posting schedule as we start up chapter 4! Thank you so much for reading this far, and I hope you continue to be interested as we move forward. I love you guys!


	33. Interlude 3: Cartographer Wanted

His head was in their lap.

This wasn’t a particularly romantic situation, however. No, he was just exhausted.  _ Apparently _ scaling a building was really hard. He sat there, looking at the clear starlight, disgruntled at how much he let video games lie to him over the years. 

But they were just laughing. This was normal for them. Breaking and entering, climbing buildings, looking at stars--all pretty day-to-day stuff in their book. 

He might have thought they were weird a few years ago (and let’s be honest with ourselves, they’re still pretty weird), but there was no denying their peculiar skillset.

But for now, a moment of peace. He looked up at them, but their face was inclined ever upward toward the stars. He knew they didn’t believe the things they claimed to about themself, but...they did really seem to believe in the stars.

He looked at the stars too. The school was far enough from city limits that the sky is even pretty clear most nights here. It was so high up, so close to atmosphere...He started to get lost in thought. He even started to forget why they were here in the first place.

“You got your breath?” they asked, interrupting his directionless daydreams.

They stared down at him, hood back and eyes bright. 

“I guess so,” he grumbled. “Not sure how I’ll make the trip back down, though.”

“That’s easy,” they declared easily. “You just fall!”

He sat up, rubbing his neck. “Oh good, I was wondering if this was one of those bone-break trips…”

They laughed in that silly way of theirs that implied that they knew so much more than he did. He just smiled, stood, and offered them his hand to help them to their feet.

Upon standing, they reached into their bag. They’d started carrying a shoulder bag on gigs like this partly due to his influence, he knew. Before, it had been a bouncy backpack that often was worn backwards so they could get into the pockets more easily. Of course, that was only when they didn’t have a crew to follow them and hold their stuff.

They pulled out a peach and a small rock.

“Technically I brought the peaches for a post-vandalism snack, but it occured to me on the way up that the rocks could do big damage and could be, you know, legally...a...well, a crime,” they said, looking doubtfully back and forth between their potential projectiles.

“Isn’t breaking into a building and getting up on its roof already a crime?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

They shrugged. “Barely. Breaking windows, though, that’s frowned upon.”

“And you just now considered it?” he asked. He was only partially incredulous, though. They tended to act first, think later. Someday it would be the death of them.

“Well...it’s your fault for taking so long to climb! I had all that time to think about my actions!”

“These human limbs can only take me so far…” His protests were just jokes, though. They saw right through him, and laughed.

He reached for a peach. “I don’t want the principal to sue me,” he said. “Getting called out by him for loitering on grounds was bad enough.”

They nodded, and brought out another peach. They took a bite, then pointed.

“It’s that window,” they said.

He geared up to throw the peach as hard as he could, when they grabbed his arm and held it back.

Alarmed, he looked back at them. Their face was scared, now, and they shook their head. They brought their free hand up to their face, pressing their index finger against their lips. 

And, in the way of dreams, things changed.

He was back in the classroom, only faintly confused about things. She sat in front of him, eating a peach. Was there something about peaches he should remember? He was caught up, however, by the sight of her face. There was something off about it. Was he used to something else?

She was pointing at his desk, however, so his attention turned.

On his desk was instant ramen, steaming and ready to be eaten. She indicated it for him, silently mocking him for being so absent minded. Dutifully, in the way of dreams, he began to eat. They ate together in silence for a while before she interrupted things.

“I was thinking about Horiuchi,” she said casually. 

He smiled at her. She’d really lightened up since second year, he’d noticed. She was emoting a little bit more freely, and he could only blame their partner. It was good seeing her relaxed.

“What about him?” he asked around a mouthful of noodles.

“I don’t know. I think it’s really permissive of him to let us hang out here all the time,” she said. 

“I used to think he didn’t notice us, but you pretty much make sure you stand out,” he said, laughing.

“You mean the clothes?” she asked, looking down at herself with a frown.

He shrugged, hiding a smile. “You alter your uniform more than anybody else on the planet. I didn’t think hand dying a uniform skirt pink would even work to get under the dress code’s radar.”

She laughed. “Reserve course’s dress code is a little looser. Once you pay your money, they don’t give a shit about what you do.”

He nodded sagely, as if he had a lot of thoughts on anything the reserve course did, when her partner came over and draped themself over her shoulders. It was something they could only do when she was sitting or they were standing on a chair, but they did it as often as they could.

“If the dress code wasn’t enough to get you chewed out, the PDA definitely is,” he said, giving them a significant look.

“Oh, talking about Horiuchi again? You guys have got to be his biggest fans, I swear to God,” they said, sticking out their tongue. “You know he loves all of us. Way better than last year. Were you in our class last year, Saji?”

He shook his head, but opted to eat more noodles instead of replying verbally.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” they said. “I would have noticed you.”

“You’re so sharp,” she said, looking lovingly at them. Gross.

“I’m as sharp as you are pretty,” they said, running a hand through her hair and messing it up. She laughed. 

There were a few beats of silence as the group ate. Her partner took bits from her lunch--or maybe it was their lunch that she was stealing from--and he drank the broth from his ramen. It was peaceful.

“Hey,” they said, cheeks full of sunflower seeds. Foam seemed to form on their lips as they chewed. “Don’t you think we’re missing someone?”

Someone else approached, someone who wasn’t supposed to be here. Their green hoodie was dyed red, somehow, and they looked scared. Quiet.

“Don’t you think we’re missing someone?” they said, their voice raspy and worn.

She nodded, her makeup suddenly very smeared. Her eyeliner seemed to stream down her face as he watched, and there was a strain in her face that there wasn’t previously.

“Where are you, Shuji?” she asked, her voice an empty echo. “Where are we?”

Where?

“Where?”

Where…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

W

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

H

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

E

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

R

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

E

_ This time, my awakening isn’t as harsh. I’ve come to expect the nightmares, the sight of the ceiling in the dark, the pounding of my heart in my chest. _

_ I don’t know what it means. _

_ I don’t know if I ever will. _

_ I roll over in bed. _

_ Sleep. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 will begin on February 11th!


	34. Chapter Four: Phoenix (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, a new set of areas to explore! Welcome to the fourth floor!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, chapter 4 already? I'm so happy to have gotten this far, and I'm excited to take all of you with me to the end of this project. Chapter 4 in general is gonna have a lot of big stuff, so I'm really excited to show you!

**THE FEY** : Wakey wake! It’s 7 aaaaaaaaa……………

_Click._

_I look at the ceiling, feeling passive._

_There’s a lot of things I should be feeling, I know._

_Rage. Sadness. Confusion. Misery. If I were being dramatic, even despair._

_I should be outraged about my fate here. I should be mourning Katherine, Miki, and Bo. I should be baffled about The Fey’s morning announcements getting weirder and weirder._

_But I’m just lying here, taking deep breaths, and looking at the ceiling. All these feelings of loss and emptiness are there, somewhere, I suppose, but I’ve become used to them. I remember my emotional reaction upon seeing Miki’s body--just exhaustion._

_I guess you can only handle so much before it starts to become normal._

_There’s a deep ache in my chest when I think about the people I’ve lost. It sits just beneath my breastbone, burrowing its way inside me, making me feel sore and weary. But it doesn’t stop me from breathing. My heart keeps beating._

_Bo meant a lot to me. I felt like I should protect them from the big bad world that made them they way they were. Miki and Katherine were warmth to each other that I couldn’t even begin to understand. The comfort they provided each other, while sometimes a little gross, was a light in a dark time._

_Two out of three of them were murderers. One died on accident. They’re gone._

_But I’m still here._

_I take a deep breath and sit up, running my hands through my hair. I feel greasy. I must have been sweating in my sleep._

_I’m not the only one who is still here. Katherine killed to protect Miki’s soul from damnation or whatever, killed to prevent them from being the bad person they had potential to be, but she also tried to protect us._

_Isei, Kyo, Yui, Noriko, Heiji, Fumi, Roxxy,「Pure Virtual」, and even Aika are all still here. To some extent, we’re all feeling this ache in our chests._

_A dark cloud crosses my mind._

_We may all be here, but one of us did this. One of us put us here._

_I wipe my face with my hands._

_If I’m going to be thinking about this, I might as well do it in the shower._

_As I shampoo my hair, eyes clenched tightly to avoid soap blindness, I try to think objectively about the idea that one of us might be a monster who put us all here for funsies. I try to gather what I know so far that could hint at anyone._

 

> __1.There are cameras everywhere, which means that we’re being watched and/or the whole situation is being recorded for some purpose._ _   
>  _2\. We don’t have signal on our phones._   
>  _3.The tablets aren’t rigged to wirelessly connect to anything, so any updates need to be manual._

_But we figured almost all of that out as soon as we got here. Let’s keep thinking._

> _4\. It’s possible we were lured to this mansion with a party invitation, but the RSVP information was ripped.  
>  5\. Isei only remembers 16 people in any Hope’s Peak Class, and there were 17 people brought to this mansion. One of us may not be a Hope’s Peak graduate. But...Isei and I both remember everyone here in some capacity.  
> 6.The Fey is breaking._

_Hey, why is The Fey breaking?_

_By the time I’ve gotten through all of this, I’m stepping out of the shower to dry off._

_The more I think about it, the more I can pretty much conclude The Fey is broken. The morning announcements have been off for a while, there was no motive provided after the second trial, she didn’t even seem to know what we were talking about when we asked about Fey Files when Kata died…_

_Something is definitely up with that terrible little robot._

_I dress, and leave my room. It’s something to talk about with everyone else. If we can’t get to any resolution, at least we’ll all be on the same page._

_Pretty much as soon as I exit the suite hallway, however, Noriko comes bounding down the stairs and turns to face me._

**NORIKO** : Oh! Shuji! I was looking for you.

**SHUJI** : How is it I’m always the last one to get out of bed?

**NORIKO** : I get up earlier than everyone else altogether. It’s not a character judgement.

**SHUJI** : Fair. I bet you’ve got knightly training stuff to do.

**NORIKO** : No, I do all my training in the morning. That’s why I get up early. Why would I train at night and then get up early?

**SHUJI** : I...fair point? I guess? Why were you looking for me?

**NORIKO** : Kyo wanted me to check on you. They’re quite occupied by some of the new areas, and are already planning the next wake, but had a feeling you might be hit particularly hard by...last night.

_I frown, and she reaches forward to place an armored hand on my shoulder sympathetically._

**NORIKO** : I don’t know how to make you feel better. I don’t know how to make myself feel better, either. But if you ever need to be hit by a stick for catharsis, I’ll do my best.

_I smile weakly at her, and she returns the gesture. I guess we’re all pretty fragile right now, but by this point, we know enough to at least look out for one another._

**SHUJI** : Thanks. You too, you know? I’ll gladly get hit by sticks for a while if it’ll make us stronger.

**NORIKO** : You know, you’d make a pretty good squire. Maybe one day we’ll move on from being hit with sticks to dressage.

**SHUJI** : Dressage?

**NORIKO** : Horse stuff!

**SHUJI** : Hey, if we’re lucky maybe the next area we get in here could be a stable.

_Her eyes light up as though she’d never considered it. I swear I see stars in her eyes as she looks up, presumably to the new floor, and gasps._

**NORIKO** : Well, now I really want to get exploring!

_I don’t have the heart to tell her that usually you can tell what areas are going to be there based on the maps available on our tablets. She’s a low tech kind of girl anyway, and I respect that._

**SHUJI** : Let’s go, then! I’ve got to find Kyo to thank them for sending you after me, anyway.

**NORIKO** : Yeah, I think they’re on the fourth floor. They scampered down the stairs fast enough I was honestly worried they’d ruin their suit.

**SHUJI** : What do you think got them into such a tizzy?

**NORIKO** : [Shrugs.] Maybe they found some party balloons? I bet that would get them pretty enthusiastic for party planning.

**SHUJI** : Party balloons, hm?

**NORIKO** : [Laughs.] Truthfully, I don’t know. I plan on looking into it after I find Yui.

**SHUJI** : Is she missing?

_Noriko beckons me to follow her up the stairs._

**NORIKO** : She found something interesting, I think. She was up early this morning, when I was doing stair exercises. Usually the only one up before the morning announcements is Roxxy, who likes to jog through the hallways, so I stopped to see what she was doing.

**SHUJI** : Anything interesting?

**NORIKO** : She couldn’t sleep. But she did find that the locked room on the second floor is now open.

**SHUJI** : Oh, wow! I’d almost forgotten about it.

**NORIKO** : I hadn’t. I didn’t like the idea of a locked door. It felt important somehow.

**SHUJI** : I can see why. Did she say what was in it?

**NORIKO** : No, she had barely discovered it on her own. Is it okay if we stop there first before heading up to Kyo?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, of course.

_With my permission, she turns toward the bath house on the second floor._

_Sure enough, the door is wide open, and we can finally see inside._

//An office. There is a desk opposite the door, against the far wall, a withering house plant to the left of the desk and a line of filing cabinets on the right. There are picture frames on the walls, but all of them are empty of pictures. Yui is sitting at the desk, looking at scattered papers.

**NORIKO** : Oh, wow!

**YUI** : Hm? Oh, hello Noriko. And Shuji.

_Yui looks exhausted. She’s hunched in the desk chair, her hair pushed back out of her face with her hands as she looks over some papers with deep bags under her eyes. She barely turns her head to the doorway when she greets us, but her eyes are already flickering back to the pages._

**SHUJI** : What are all of these?

**YUI** : Hm? These?

_She absentmindedly passes me a paper, not looking up._ __

**SHUJI** : I don’t understand.

_Noriko looks over my shoulder, her expression puzzled._

**NORIKO** : It’s quite redacted, but it seems like it’s talking about...government? Laws, maybe?

**SHUJI** : Yeah. Something about international interests, and public support…?

**YUI** : It’s all like this. Anything important is redacted, but I’m getting a picture of corporations and the government’s work on...something. A project, which remains censored, being key to...some other thing.

**SHUJI** : Wow, this sounds extremely frustrating.

**YUI** : At least…[Sighs.] At least it’s organized.

**NORIKO** : Yui has given up on her dreams of organizing the music closet, at least for the time being.

**YUI** : I imagine if we’re in here for the rest of our lives, I’ll have plenty of time to get back to it. This seems more pressing.

**SHUJI** : Do you think it’s related to what’s going on here? Like, it’s about us?

**YUI** : Are you asking me if I think the government was involved in putting us here?

**SHUJI** : No! But, maybe somewhere in there is a clue that someone is looking for us.

**YUI** : Perhaps. But if they have been looking for us all this time, and still haven’t gotten us out of here, I don’t feel particularly hopeful about our chances.

**NORIKO** : Hey, don’t give up. We’re being held captive by an alarmingly high-tech robot, and our enemies clearly have access to other technologies and resources we don’t know about.

**YUI** : [Panicked] Not...super encouraging...yet…

**NORIKO** : [Intensely] That means whomever might be looking for us is up against high opposition. The fact that it’s taken them this long only means that they’re working very hard against difficult odds. Take heart in it.

**SHUJI** : Wow.

**YUI** : Wow...

**NORIKO** : [Embarrassed] What? Did I say something weird?

**SHUJI** : No, that was just a really good speech. Honestly, I hadn’t put thought to rescue operations in a while. But you make me want to believe in it.

**YUI** : I’m beginning to change my mind about us needing an elected leader, Noriko. You could really help us keep it together.

**NORIKO** : I’d be glad for the opportunity to help. In the meantime, though, I think I’ll help you look through these papers. Maybe something went uncensored, and two heads may in fact be better than one.

**YUI** : Oh...I think I’d like that. Thank you.

**SHUJI** : I’d help too, but I think I’d just be in the way. This isn’t a big room.

**YUI** : I appreciate the thought, but yes, we really only need the two of us.

_Noriko sits on the floor next to the desk, and begins patiently going through the filing cabinet._

_Who even uses filing cabinets as a storage method anymore, anyway? I can only picture them in like a dusty private investigator’s office. But my glaring at them isn’t helping anything, so I decide to keep exploring._

_It sounded like we got a new floor, so I head all the way up there. As I walk, I speculate on the nature of this house. Noriko was right; whoever is keeping us here has access to all sorts of resources. Either they know a lot of important people, or they’re important by themself. To be able to have a house like this...either already owning it, or having it built for this purpose…_

_But that’s a logical dead end. Everyone here is important in some way. Not in the cliche, “everyone this planet is valuable,” sort of way either. Everyone here is famous. Just figuring out who might have access to all of this isn’t going to narrow things down._

_I shrug. I’d better just look around. I’m not doing any good thinking in circles._

_The fourth floor is split in half, it seems. There’s a long hallway directly from the stairwell, and one door on either side. The hall seems to end in a dead-end, which is curious, since that area has a symbol on my map I can’t quite parse. I turn my head, confirming my suspicions; there’s at least one more floor in here that we don’t have access to._

_The idea that nobody else will die in here feels flat, like a lie I’d tell myself. I opt not to think about it._

_Two doors are before me, right and left. I go right._

//A big ass planetarium. The room is huge, with a domed projector screen taking up the majority of the ceiling. At the front of the room is a lectern, and at the back is a soundboard. Taking up the floorspace are 15 chairs, plush and reclinable, as well as a sloped floor for people to lie down on if they so choose. Fumi is at the soundboard, and Heiji is lying on the floor.

_I can’t help but let out a low whistle._

_Well, our captor either doesn’t want us to be bored, or is a huge show off at this point. And I didn’t think things could get more wild after the in-house movie theatre._

[Fumi + Soundboard] / [Heiji + Seating]

**[SELECT: Fumi + Soundboard]**

_Fumi is fiddling with the soundboard at the back of the room, brow furrowed._

**SHUJI** : Hey.

**FUMI** : Oh, hello Shuji.

_She stops whatever she’s toying with and looks up at me. Even in the dim light of this room, I can see that she looks tired. We exchange tired smiles. What else is there to do?_

**FUMI** : Are you doing okay? I know...I know none of us are really...Okay. You know.

**SHUJI** : It’s pretty much a philosophical question at this point, isn’t it? I got out of bed, though. So. That’s a good sign, I think.

**FUMI** : Yeah, me too. It’s hard to know where to start, right? After the trials, I guess, I feel like everything grinds to a halt.

**SHUJI** : We get new areas to live in, and everything, but it just feels like everything stopped. That’s what you mean?

**FUMI** : Maybe I feel like things should be stopped, but they aren’t. That sounds right. We should slow down, and think about...think about what happened. People died, you know?

**SHUJI** : Wanna know the worst part?

**FUMI** : What?

**SHUJI** : I feel like I’m getting used to it. We saw a girl get ripped in half last night--

**FUMI** : I couldn’t--I didn’t watch.

**SHUJI** : Me either, but…

**FUMI** : Yeah. I feel like I should be reacting more. If it were...if all of this just happened once, or with any time between them, I could muster that emotional chutzpah I need. Crying is just exhausting now.

**SHUJI** : I’ll cry when I need to, but I...I want to keep moving.

**FUMI** : Yes. Me too!

**SHUJI** : I’m determined to get out of here. I always was, I guess, but now I really refuse to give in to whatever sick torture thing we’re being put through.

**FUMI** : Yes! Phew, thank you, Shuji. I’m glad we talked.

**SHUJI** : Me too. We’re gonna make it.

**FUMI** : We are!

_Fumi slams her fist down on the soundboard to make her point, and accidentally presses a button. Inspiring orchestral music pours out of the speakers all over the room, and a display of stars spins across the ceiling. She yelps, startled, and presses the button again. The spinning gets faster._

_She presses buttons wildly for a while, changing the displays, making more synth-pop music play, and lighting the whole room very brightly for a moment before finding the off-switch._

**SHUJI** : So. The soundboard.

**FUMI** : I really do not know how this thing works. I think this is Roxxy’s territory pretty firmly, though.

**SHUJI** : So why are you playing with it?

**FUMI** : Er, uh, well! Life is a never ending, you know, um, quest for knowledge! I should learn...things, that, uh…

**SHUJI** : Wow, is this what you lying looks like?

**FUMI** : No!

**SHUJI** : [Squinting] …

**FUMI** : ...Yes. Okay. I was thinking a lot about what you and everyone were saying about...me and Roxxy. And with Katherine and Miki...they loved each other. They really did. And I...I want to…

_She’s beet red now, and avoiding my gaze._

**SHUJI** : Is this something for Roxxy?

**FUMI** : Yes. I want to impress her. Maybe...ask her out...officially…

**SHUJI** : Hey, more power to you. I bet Pure Virtual would have an idea how to work this, too, if you wanted to ask someone for tips.

**FUMI** : Oh! Good idea! From what I’ve been able to tell so far, this thing controls all the display in here. The lights, the sounds, the whole show. There’s even a laser show setting! But I don’t know how to control it.

_I lean over and try to look at the soundboard to learn something about it._

_Well, there are...buttons. And switches. And slides. And a bunch of small bulbs?_

**SHUJI** : It looks like it belongs on a spaceship.

**FUMI** : Yeah, so...I haven’t gotten very far with it.

**SHUJI** : Well, I’ll leave you to experiment.

**FUMI** : Oh! And, uh, please...don’t tell Roxxy.

**SHUJI** : I’ll let you surprise her, don’t worry.

**[SELECT: Heiji + Seating]**

_Despite Fumi’s foibles on the soundboard, Heiji seems perfectly relaxed. As I approach him where he lies on the floor, I think he might actually be asleep. I nudge him with my foot, and he stirs, laughing._

**HEIJI** : That’s one way to say ‘hey,’ dude.

**SHUJI** : Sorry, I thought you were asleep.

**HEIJI** : With all the noise Fumi’s making? Haha, yeah, actually, I could probably sleep through that.

**SHUJI** : Damn, I’m jealous. I’m a light sleeper.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, it’s pretty much a super power. Pop a squat, dude, take a seat.

_I dutifully sit down on the floor next to him. The floor is inclined in such a way that it’s actually fairly comfortable to sit here and look up at the ceiling. Behind us, Fumi experimentally presses a button, and the display is flooded with beautiful galaxies._

**SHUJI** : What are you doing in here, by the way?

**HEIJI** : I was just thinking. Bo would love this, wouldn’t they?

_There’s that familiar ache in my chest, coming in with a sensation like being punched._

**SHUJI** : Yeah.

**HEIJI** : I think it’s good to appreciate the things they’d appreciate, too. Whenever I go into the garden above the pool, I think about Alena, too.

**SHUJI** : It hurts.

**HEIJI** : That’s part of the point, I think. For me, anyway. I want to be reminded of them, and of how much it hurt to lose them. I want to make sure I don’t forget.

**SHUJI** : I don’t think I could ever forget them. All of them.

**HEIJI** : But the pain fades, eventually. It’s supposed to, anyway. So I’m really taking the time to feel it while I can. I want to have the space to feel that before I can’t anymore.

**SHUJI** : Hey, Heiji?

**HEIJI** : What’s up, man?

**SHUJI** : You’re really smart.

**HEIJI** : Haha, aww. You are too! I’m pretty much an idiot about school stuff, though. I’m comfortable with it.

**SHUJI** : School smart doesn’t really matter in here, does it?

**HEIJI** : Hey, I guess not!

**SHUJI** : My point is, you’re the most reasonable, level headed person here. I’ve never seen you freak out.

**HEIJI** : Aw, I freak out plenty. I’m straight up terrified about all of this. But, like, me falling to the ground and crying isn’t gonna help anyone. Not even me, you know?

**SHUJI** : How do you do it? How do you manage all of this?

**HEIJI** : Well, I let myself feel it, I guess. I come to places like this, that reminds me of all of the shit we’ve gone through. And I let myself cry a little bit. I think about the people we’ve lost, and how much I liked them, and who they were as people. And then I get up and move on.

**SHUJI** : You make it sound easy.

**HEIJI** : It’s totally not easy! It’s loads of self control and knowing myself well enough to know when I need that kind of release, man.

**SHUJI** : You’re giving me a lot to think about.

**HEIJI** : That’s good. Thinking is good. Maybe I do it too much.

**SHUJI** : I’ll sit here and think with you.

**HEIJI** : Hell yeah.

_I lie back on the floor, considering the galaxies twirling above us. Bo really would have gone wild for this room. They would have facts and trivia about the stars, or at least some really entertaining made up stuff about it._

_I feel tears prickle in my eyes._

_Even Katherine and Miki would have liked this area, I think. They’d probably be really gross and all over each other in the seats. I can almost hear Miki’s laughter at some deadpan joke Katherine would make._

_I take deep breaths as the tears leak down my face._

_Lani probably would have known a lot about the stars, too. I bet he’d have thoughts on stuff like light pollution. I bet he’d get up at that lectern and tell us all really enthusiastically about some stuff I wouldn’t understand. He really was a prodigy. Way too smart._

_My turtleneck is getting wet. I wipe my face absentmindedly._

_It’s hard to say what Kata would have gotten out of this. He was an enigma to me. I guess he always will be. I think back to the otome game I played. Despite how he acted in here, he seemed to really have a good grasp on how to make someone feel something. He couldn’t have been all bad, could he?_

_I lean my head back, looking straight up, so my tears don’t continue to drip quite so badly._

_I don’t know how Masanori and Alena would have reacted, either. Maybe this room would be beautiful enough to make Masanori be quiet for a while. Maybe he’d be inspired. He never really talked about his talent, but surely the cosmos would be enough to bring it up._

_Alena...she’d be quiet, I’m sure. Maybe enraptured. Maybe frightened by the dark._

_I wish I knew them better. I wish I knew them at all. They’re gone._

_And I’m here._

_Somehow, I am not laid low by their memories. This time, I feel stronger somehow. I’m going to move forward. I’m going to get out of here._

**SHUJI** : Wow.

**HEIJI** : Snnz…

**SHUJI** : Did you...fall asleep?

**HEIJI** : …..znnn…

_I guess I’ll let him rest. It doesn’t seem like any of us got good rest last night._

_I leave the planetarium behind, and enter the room directly across from it._

//You thought the last room was impressive? Ha, you got a storm comin’. This room is a vast and splendiferous grand ballroom. The floor is marble, and the center is devoid of furniture to make space for a large dance floor. Along the back of the room is a banquet table, but there are other small round tables scattered around the edges of the room. The other notable piece of furniture is a grand piano. Kyo is standing in the middle of the room, bossing Isei around.

_Wow. Just when I thought this house couldn’t get more ridiculous._

**KYO** : If we could just adjust the lights...hmm...mmm...nope, that won’t work. Got any ideas?

**ISEI** : N...no? Why aren’t you asking Yui about this?

**KYO** : Yui is busy, so I’ve volunteered you as her stand in. It’s an honor, I promise.

**ISEI** : Sure. I guess.

**KYO** : Listen, Isei. Your contribution will go down in the history of our time here. This will be the best wake ever! It’ll get our minds off of how awful everything is, give us time to bond, maybe there will be dancing, and we’ll properly mourn the departed!

**ISEI** : I already said I’d do it.

**KYO** : Oh, I didn’t think you wouldn’t do it! I just wanted to encourage you. Now, since so many people...ah...I was thinking of doing a more classical color theme, rather than doing something directly inspired by them.

**ISEI** : Hmm. Maybe gold and black? Gold for celebration, black for mourning?

**KYO** : [Eyes sparkling.] You’re a genius, Isei.

**ISEI** : Thanks.

**KYO** : We’ll need to make centerpieces for the tables, too...hmmm...Don’t leave yet! I’m going to think for a while. Feel free to look around.

[Kyo] / [Isei] / Banquet Table] / [Dumbwaiter]

**[SELECT: Kyo]**

_Kyo is standing in the middle of the room, scratching their chin in one of the most intense displays of speculation I’ve seen in a while. How do they look more intense here, in a ballroom, than they do during a trial in which our lives are potentially at stake?_

**SHUJI** : Hey.

_They don’t look at me, instead, turning their face to squint at the ceiling._

**SHUJI** : Hello?

_They seem to stir from their reverie, flashing me a quick smile, before continuing on their focused mental journey across the marble floor._

**SHUJI** : I guess we can talk later…?

**KYO** : Hm? Oh! Shuji! Sorry, I saw you, I just...I was thinking.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, it seemed like it. Are you doing okay?

**KYO** : [Serious.] Of course not. Three people died yesterday. That’s seven people total. I’m freaking the fuck out, Shuji.

**SHUJI** : Oh my God.

**KYO** : Does that surprise you?

**SHUJI** : No, I mean, it shouldn’t. You’re just so frank about it.

**KYO** : It’s getting harder to pretend everything is okay. I know...I know Yui is working on finding information that could be helpful. That’s important. But I don’t know what I can do to help everyone here.

**SHUJI** : What do you mean? It’s not your job to--

**KYO** : It is, though. My whole thing is charities! I help people! But I do that with...with money. With parties. With the press. I raise awareness, and all that. In here, I don’t know where to start.

**SHUJI** : You helped me. You found me when I was trying to isolate myself.

**KYO** : I guess I did. I don’t suppose you’re about to do it again, are you?

**SHUJI** : I hadn’t planned on it.

**KYO** : Oh. That’s good.

**SHUJI** : Were you hoping I would?

**KYO** : I mean, maybe a little? Just to have something helpful to do. My point is that I’m at a total loss here. If I had some measure of control…[Sighs.]

**SHUJI** : So you’re working on the wake?

**KYO** : Yes! If I can make it perfect...Maybe people will feel better.

**SHUJI** : I don’t think it’ll be that easy.

**KYO** : I know that! I know that. We need serious, hardcore therapy. This is major trauma stuff, and I don’t know where to start. When I get out, I’m gonna have a whole new cause to champion. It’s gonna be us.

**SHUJI** : A whole charity dedicated to us?

_They start counting off on their fingers._

**KYO** : To funding medical bills, trauma recovery, reintegration into society...There’ll need to be some kind of reparations paid to us. I can fund some of it personally, you know, but there’s ten whole people who are gonna need a lot of TLC.

**SHUJI** : It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this.

**KYO** : I have. I lay awake at night, trying to figure out a way I can help. I’m not a leader. I go crazy if things spiral out of my control too much, and baby, we’re pretty much completely beyond my reach. So...I try to make these wakes nice.

**SHUJI** : I understand. Maybe not about the party stuff, but I want to help too. And I get wanting to have something you can affect when everything gets crazy.

**KYO** : Do you have a lot of experience with stuff totally spiraling?

**SHUJI** : Some.

**KYO** : Tell me about it. I’d like to listen.

**SHUJI** : Uh, sure. Okay. When I was a kid and things got bad with my parents, I started collecting rocks. Super impractical, especially when I was on my own, but I had like 30 or 40 of them. I’d arrange and rearrange them at night, just to have that act of...changing and managing something.

**KYO** : That makes a lot of sense. What do you mean ‘on your own’? Were you homeless?

**SHUJI** : Yeah. I was.

**KYO** : I think collecting and organizing rocks is pretty productive. I hear a lot of homeless people will just wreck public bathrooms to get that sense of control.

**SHUJI** : People do that. So, uh, party?

**KYO** : Right! So, since we’ve lost so many people, I think trying to think of just the three we lost yesterday would be too momentous a task. I want to memorialize all of them.

**SHUJI** : Doesn’t that sound like a bigger job?

**KYO** : It does. But getting a sense of unity...maybe we won’t lose anyone else. Plus, I want to do something challenging. Yui has her crosswords, I have this.

**SHUJI** : Are you gonna need my help?

**KYO** : If you’re willing to provide it.

**SHUJI** : I could handle kitchen stuff.

**KYO** : Then kitchen stuff you will handle! I’m going to go back to planning, though, for the time being.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I’ll see you around.

**KYO** : Thanks, Shuji.

**[SELECT: Isei]**

_Isei has removed himself from Kyo’s planning and chattering all the way to the grand piano, which he seems to be looking at quizzically. As I approach, he reaches toward the keys, one finger ready to make music, but hesitates._

**SHUJI** : Do you know how to play?

_He jumps, visibly surprised that I’m here, whirling around to face me. I guess he hadn’t heard me come in._

**ISEI** : Hey! Hi! Hello. I wasn’t doing anything.

**SHUJI** : [Amused.] It looked like you were about to play piano.

**ISEI** : I definitely wasn’t. I haven’t had a piano lesson since I was eight.

**SHUJI** : Why’d you stop?

**ISEI** : I tried to investigate the piano teacher for larceny. My aunt thought it was funny. My teacher did not. I got kicked from the class.

**SHUJI** : Every new thing I learn about you is like a punch to the face.

**ISEI** : [Embarrassed] That painful, huh?

**SHUJI** : No! I mean, more like, I’ve never been punched in the face. It’s just always shocking and not what I expected.

**ISEI** : Really? You wouldn’t expect someone like me to get booted from piano class?

**SHUJI** : Well, you’re pretty much a nerd.

**ISEI** : [Astounded] Nerd? Really?

**SHUJI** : C’mon. You write biographies as an attempt at social reform or whatever, you like Doraemon and Jurassic Park, you’re afraid to talk in front of crowds…

**ISEI** : But I’m full of piercings!

**SHUJI** : All that’s skin deep, though! Literally, actually.

**ISEI** : Hmm…

**SHUJI** : But I didn’t come over here to make fun of you, no matter how fun that might be. Last...last time you really helped me get my shit together. I wanted to make sure you were okay, too.

**ISEI** : I probably wouldn’t use the word ‘okay,’ but I’ll live. I hope. Anyway, I’ve got people like you looking out for me, so how bad could I be?

**SHUJI** : Don’t even joke about you dying.

**ISEI** : Sorry. I’m just...not clear on how to cope, here. You asked me about that after Lani died, and I didn’t know then either. I’m trying on dark humor, seeing how that suits me.

**SHUJI** : I can understand where you’re coming from, but…

_I shiver. While it’s pessimistic to even consider it, there are people here whose loss would hurt me more than others. Isei has become the type of person I seek out in crowds, just to see if he’s there, to make me feel a little more comfortable about whatever is going on._

_Isei puts a hand on my shoulder._

**ISEI** : It’s okay. I probably wouldn’t be a bucket of laughs if you joked about dying in here, either. I get it.

**SHUJI** : Thanks.

**ISEI** : Anyway, have you been looking around?

**SHUJI** : Some. Did you see that the locked room on the second floor is open?

**ISEI** : Yeah, but Yui’s all over it. I figured I’d look over it when she was done.

_A dark thought crosses my mind._

**SHUJI** : You know how we think it could be one of us? Behind all of this?

_Isei frowns._

**ISEI** : Yes. What’s up? Got a theory?

**SHUJI** : Not really, but...if there’s something important in there, what if the Host or whatever removes it. What if it’s Yui, or Noriko, or--

**ISEI** : The office has been locked for weeks. If they waited to remove something inflammatory from it _now_ , that would be pretty weird.

**SHUJI** : So, you did think about it?

**ISEI** : Yeah. I don’t like being suspicious, but I try to think of these things.

**SHUJI** : Do you have any theories? On any of this?

**ISEI** : Not anything solid. Without more information I really can’t get anywhere with just thinking about it. I could mull it over a million times, but without new clues, I’m not gonna come to any new conclusions.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I’ve been struggling with that too.

**ISEI** : But if I find anything new, you’ll be the first to know.

**SHUJI** : Why me? Couldn’t I be the Host, too?

**ISEI** : [Shrugs.] I guess you could be.

**SHUJI** : Ouch! I expected a more passionate refutation! Like, “No, Shuji, it couldn’t be you because I trust you!”

**ISEI** : [Laughs] Well, you could be! I do trust you, though. I’m also pretty sure you’re not the one.

**SHUJI** : Why am I not the one?

**ISEI** : You don’t remember your talent. If you really did an elaborate kidnapping scheme, for whatever reason, you not remembering crucial information sounds like a pretty suspicious lie. If you’re capable of pulling all of this off, you’re capable of pretending to be the SHSL Park Ranger or something arbitrary.

**SHUJI** : I guess that makes sense...But how do I know it’s not you, either?

**ISEI** : I don’t know. How do you know?

_I pause for a moment, thinking about his question. How_ do _I know I can trust Isei? After all, he seems to be pretty quick on the uptake; almost as though he isn’t surprised at all by the developments here. That could be damning._

_But I look at him and I can’t see it in him._

**SHUJI** : You try too hard to be the Host.

**ISEI** : Oh, are we back to bullying me?

**SHUJI** : Only very gently. I mean, you’re putting all this effort into looking tough, right?

**ISEI** : I am tough!

**SHUJI** : No doubt about it! If you hit me I’d just drop, I’m pretty sure. Don’t hit me. But you also really want to seem tough. If I were the Host, I’d want to seem harmless. You want to make sure nobody fucks with you, though. It’s a pretty backwards approach if you’re masterminding this whole thing.

**ISEI** : I’m not sure about the logical reasoning, but I appreciate the good faith.

_I grin at him, but he just looks embarrassed. Maybe I was being too mean about the nerd stuff. I’d better change the topic._

**SHUJI** : So, found anything interesting on the new floor?

**ISEI** : Not so much on this one, no. But the other one…

**SHUJI** : Wait, we got two new floors?

**ISEI** : Yeah. You should keep looking around, dude. We can talk about it later.

_He turns back to speculating upon the piano after gesturing toward the door. I guess there’s stuff for me to explore elsewhere._

_But I’m not done with this room yet!_

**[SELECT: Banquet Table]**

_Since I’ll be handling food for the next party we have in here, it feels like civic duty to inspect the long table taking up almost an entire wall of the ball room._

_It’s long, covered in an elegant white table cloth, with silver food domes. Er, you know, the things that go over food to keep them warm, or cold, or whatever. They probably aren’t called food domes, but there’s 3 large ones and 7 small ones covering different plates scattered across the table. It’s very classy._

_Curious, I lift up one of the food...domes…_

_There’s nothing under it. I guess we’re still expected to bring up our own food. That cannot be convenient, though, given that the kitchen is several floors down now._

**[SELECT: Dumbwaiter]**

_Near the banquet table is a little wooden door in the wall. I slide it upward, and am way more delighted than I should be to see that it is a genuine dumbwaiter._

_Kyo notices me looking at it, and comes over to consider it._

**KYO** : Oh man, my family’s summer house had one of these!

**SHUJI** : Your family has different houses for different seasons?

**KYO** : And yours doesn’t?

**SHUJI** : I don’t think they do. Maybe they didn’t tell me about it.

**KYO** : I always fantasized about riding up and down these things. I’m too big now, obviously, but I was not obviously too big as a six year old.

**SHUJI** : What does that mean?

**KYO** : I...er...got stuck…It took the staff an hour and a half to get me out of it, involving just dismantling the entrance to it. I was scared of dumbwaiters until I was eight.

**SHUJI** : [Laughing.] Okay, so we should warn people not to climb in here.

**KYO** : Yeah, definitely.

**SHUJI** : Hey, this would normally connect to the kitchen, right?

**KYO** : Yeah. Your staff would plate stuff, place it here, and send it on up so that the staff up here could place it on the banquet table, I’d guess.

**SHUJI** : So why isn’t there the other end of this in our kitchen?

**KYO** : You’re right. It must lead somewhere else. That’s super weird.

**SHUJI** : What about this isn’t super weird?

**KYO** : Yeah...Hmm. Good point.

_I wonder if it leads to the other area Isei mentioned. I’d better keep looking around._

_I exit the ballroom, waving goodbye to Kyo as well, who ignores me in favor of trying to measure the smaller tables with their hands, and walk down the hallway to the dead end._

_I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that it isn’t really a dead end, given what Isei said and the marking on the map, but here I am. In a house like this I expected a secret door or something, but no, it’s just a ladder set into the floor. Somehow that’s much spookier._

_This has to lead down to where the dumbwaiter ends._

_Some voice in my head, the one that’s the result of watching a lot of horror movies when I was in middle school, tells me that climbing down that dark ladder to who knows where is a total death sentence._

_For the sake of completion, however, I ignore it._

_Here goes nothing!_

//A dimly lit cellar type area. The walls and floor are visibly exposed stone, and the space itself is fairly cramped. There are two doors, one at the end of the short hallway, the other is more accurately described as an archway leading into another room directly next to the ladder. Aika is hovering around the door at the end of the hall. The door is reinforced steel, with a thick glass window. It clearly stands out from the more classical architectural sense of the rest of the house and the unfinished nature of the cellar.

_The door at the end of the short hallway immediately claims my attention. Aika is on tip toes trying to look through the window, arousing my curiosity._

**SHUJI** : Hey.

**AIKA** : Eeek!

_Aika whirls around, pressing her back to the door with her hands up by her face in a defensive pose._

**SHUJI** : Sorry! Didn’t mean to sneak up on you!

**AIKA** : Try harder not to sneak around then! Wear a fucking bell or something!

**SHUJI** : I already said I was sorry.

**AIKA** : Right. Okay. Whatever.

**SHUJI** : You seem...tense.

_That’s putting it lightly._

**AIKA** : Yes, well. Everybody hates my guts. I may have single handedly made the last case harder to solve, and I can’t pretend I was universally liked before that. Since we’re in a setting where murder is outright encouraged, and even without incentive people here have proven themselves murderous, I feel as though I’m in a vulnerable state.

**SHUJI** : Wow, I… Wait, why did you tell me all of that?

**AIKA** : I knew you’d bother me until I told you what was going on regardless. I thought I’d skip past the tedious interim.

**SHUJI** : Cool, I feel like I just learned a lot about you.

**AIKA** : Everything I just told you was common knowledge.

**SHUJI** : Nope! Now I know that the way to get you to relax your defenses is just to be really annoying. Thanks, Aika.

**AIKA** : Urgh. Shut up.

**SHUJI** : Nope. What are you looking at?

**AIKA** : You.

**SHUJI** : Before I got here, I mean. What’s this door?

**AIKA** : It’s a door. See for yourself.

_I roll my eyes, and try to ignore her smirk. She feels like she just won some game of wits, but she didn’t. She’s just being annoying. Whatever, if it gives her some sensation of control over her situation, fine._

_The handle of the door is cold, and when I try to turn it, it doesn’t budge. Locked._

_I guess one door opens and another puzzling door has to appear, huh?_

_Since I’m much taller than Aika, I don’t need to go on tip toes to see through the window. The window itself is so thick it’s pretty hard to see through, but the room itself looks like some kind of medical lab. Everything inside is chrome, featureless, and empty._

_There seem to be some lockers or drawers in the walls, but I can’t tell what the room might be used for._

**SHUJI** : Huh.

**AIKA** : It’s a morgue.

**SHUJI** : What? Really?

**AIKA** : Maybe. Don’t take anything I say at face value. I’m a liar.

**SHUJI** : Okay, real helpful. What makes you think it’s a morgue?

**AIKA** : I’ve seen morgues before.

**SHUJI** : Plural?

_I guess she can see the uncomfortable look on my face, because she waves her hand through the air as if to banish the thought._

**AIKA** : I’m no killer. Tours of other people’s facilities is pretty normal. Some scientists work with cadavers. Cadavers are dead people.

**SHUJI** : I know what cadavers are.

**AIKA** : I wasn’t so sure, since you don’t know what a morgue looks like. Your world experiences are pretty limited, after all.

**SHUJI** : So, your whole concern about people hating you was just a total smokescreen? You don’t care if you have a target on your back?

**AIKA** : Everything I do is a smokescreen. Except for the fact that I ran out of cigarettes…

**SHUJI** : I’m just saying, if you don’t want people to make you into a cadaver, being a little bit nicer to people wouldn’t hurt.

**AIKA** : Hmm. So, your particular brand of trauma from losing people close to you is making you want to band everyone together, yes? You think if you can bring me into the fold, you’ll be absolved from whatever guilt you’re shouldering around Bo and everyone else’s deaths. Do you want to know a secret, Shuji?

**SHUJI** : Not really.

**AIKA** : Too bad. The secret is that nothing you’ll ever do will save people. People want to be bad to each other, and that’s all that there is. In a closed environment, away from repercussions, people always choose themselves over others.

**SHUJI** : It sounds like you’re talking more about yourself than humanity as a whole.

**AIKA** : ...Perhaps.

_Frustrated, I walk away. There’s only so much Aika time I can take these days._

_I turn into the other area right next to the ladder, and am greeted by long rows of shelves reaching far into the depths of the room, all completely full of bottles of wine._

//A wine cellar, tall and deep, stretching farther than can easily be seen in the dim lighting provided by hanging lights. The whole area looks very old, with the shelves stylistically carved into the rock to display the wine bottles. PV is close to the entrance, inspecting a bottle, and Roxxy is deeper in, looking around.

_I guess it’s fairly natural that a creepy mansion would have a creepy wine cellar. Why not, right?_

[PV] / [Roxxy] / [Dumbwaiter]

**[SELECT: PV]**

**SHUJI** : This has got to be your total playground, right?

**PV** : Hm? Hello, Shuji. Why do you say that?

**SHUJI** : Well, you’re French, right? French people and wine are like Roxxy and glitter.

**PV** : [Chuckles.] That’s true. My friend--I believe I told you about him before--is very interested in wine.

**SHUJI** : What’s there to be interested in?

**PV** : Honestly, I don’t see the big appeal. It doesn’t taste very good. For many people it’s a status thing, even. My friend exploited that. He’d sell rich idiots fake wine for thousands.

**SHUJI** : Fake wine?

**PV** : Grape juice. It could be anything; it didn’t matter because they’d never open it.

**SHUJI** : That’s wild.

**PV** : Yeah...I miss him. I miss my family, too, though I never thought I’d say it. We’ve been here for three weeks.

**SHUJI** : Already three weeks, wow.

**PV** : Only three weeks. I think something needs to change.

**SHUJI** : Along the lines of rescue?

**PV** : Maybe. But I think that if my family hasn’t been able to hire people competent enough to find us already, it may be quite a while. I think something needs to change in how we behave.

**SHUJI** : I guess we could do with a little bit less murder.

**PV** : For starters, yes. But I think the last trial really showed a lot about us. We’re willing to frame each other, we’re willing to lie...but we’re also willing to protect one another. I think that means something. I hope it means something.

**SHUJI** : So what needs to change?

**PV** : We need to encourage that! If people are told that they shouldn’t trust each other, trust themselves, then of course they’re not going to. The Fey wants us to hate each other, and to suspect each other. I want to resist that.

**SHUJI** : That sounds admirable.

**PV** : To me, it sounds like what’s necessary for survival. We don’t know when we’ll get out of here. If we’re here for a lot longer, then kindness is the only way we’re going to survive.

**SHUJI** : You have a good point…

**PV** : So you’d listen to me? If I lead the group, would you follow me?

**SHUJI** : What do you mean, lead the group?

**PV** : Hmm. Nevermind. We can talk about it later, okay?

**SHUJI** : Fine, but are you alright? You seem to be taking everything really well.

**PV** : Am I? I suppose I am.

**SHUJI** : We’re all pretty beat up about everything. You can talk to us, you know?

**PV** : Thank you, Shuji. I will if I need to. I guess all of this is just...overwhelming. I feel completely addled. I usually don’t get quite so...involved. With everything. I prefer being anonymous and alone.

**SHUJI** : I don’t think being isolated is really viable in here.

**PV** : You’re right. I had one friend before coming here. Now I have several. I count you among them.

**SHUJI** : Oh! I think of you as a friend too.

**PV** : Good. I’m glad…

_Their eyes swim, not really focusing on me. It seems like they don’t really like talking about this, but aren’t showing it in a very straightforward way._

_PV turns back to the wine bottles, wiping one with their hand so that the dust on it comes off. Absentmindedly, they wipe their dusty hand on their pants, leaving a mark. They seem pretty wrapped up in their thoughts._

_I guess I’ll have to talk to them about this later._

**[SELECT: Roxxy]**

_Roxxy seems to just be wandering the area, occasionally peeking in the shelves, but not with any clear directive._

**SHUJI** : Hey, Roxxy. What are you doing?

**ROXXY** : Hi Shu-chan! Do you think wine is romantic?

**SHUJI** : Romantic? I don’t know. I’ve never had it.

**ROXXY** : Me neither. But like, in theory, right? It’s totally a thing. Wine and roses. And then, like, candles! A roaring fire! Though fire has some funky associations now...bad funky, I mean, because funky can be very fun. This is the non-fun version of funky. Murder funky. Ugh.

**SHUJI** : Are you planning something romantic?

**ROXXY** : I mean, ideally. Hopefully. I’ve totally, like, dated before. I’m not a rube. I know what people like! I’m just nervous.

**SHUJI** : Is this about Fumi? Why haven’t you asked her out like a million times already?

**ROXXY** : The thing is, I sorta have. I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to be, you know, 100% clear, but I’ve been laying down a groundwork! It’s important! And I don’t think she’s picked up on a single hint. Not like, I’m not like saying she’s dumb!

**SHUJI** : She is a little oblivious about that.

**ROXXY** : You’ve noticed too?! Ugh. I wonder if she has been seeing the hints, but doesn’t want them! You know, she’s just being polite or something?

**SHUJI** : So why are you pushing for it to happen now?

**ROXXY** : Miki and Katherine. They really loved each other. I can’t help but think they had some connection from before, like from high school. And I keep thinking, like, I feel that too! I don’t feel like I have a crush. And boy do I know crushes! I love crushes. I get them all the time.

**SHUJI** : But this is different?

**ROXXY** : I feel so comfortable around her. It’s like I’ve known her for years. It’s like...if I just forget for a minute where we are, it’s like we’re already together. Like I could just reach out and hold her hand and keep doing whatever I was doing.

**SHUJI** : Roxxy, do you want my honest opinion?

**ROXXY** : Only if it’s a nice one.

**SHUJI** : You two are made for each other. I don’t know if it’s chemistry, or history, or--

**ROXXY** : Or algebra, or composition…

**SHUJI** : What?

**ROXXY** : I thought we were listing classes! Like, that I might have had with her? I thought it made sense. Go on.

**SHUJI** : [Laughing.] The point is, you both clearly like each other. Just talk to her.

**ROXXY** : Do you feel like that with anyone? Someone you just see and you know, like, you really know that there’s something about them that you want to know about. You want to be a part of their life before you know anything about them?

_I pause, thinking. Do I have someone like that?_

**SHUJI** : I…

**ROXXY** : But anyway, just talking is super boring! I’m gonna do something fantastic!

**SHUJI** : I believe in you.

**ROXXY** : Thanks! I’ve gotta decide about this wine thing, though. Maybe I’ll ask Pure Virtual. They know stuff.

**SHUJI** : They sure do! I’m gonna keep looking around.

**ROXXY** : Okay. Thanks for you advice, Shu-chan!!

_She gallops over to PV, and I smother a laugh. I’m glad someone was able to get something positive out of our experiences here._

**[SELECT: Dumbwaiter]**

_In the depths of the wine cellar, sure enough, is another wooden door the size of a small child. Or, rather, as Kyo said, too small for a small child._

_I open the door, but it’s just a dark chamber leading up to the fourth floor right now since the platform is all the way up at the top. Going out on a limb, this way the “staff” as Kyo had said could deliver wine up to the ballroom. I’m glad to have confirmed my suspicions, but I feel like this is an anticlimactic way to end my investigation of the new areas._

_Still, what was I hoping for? Anything climactic would probably just be dangerous. I shrug, and head back up the ladder. From there, I head downstairs and into the kitchen. It’s time for breakfast, albeit a little bit late._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is officially a time of recovery for dealing with the ending events of chapter 3. Feel free to share a moment of silence with Shuji and Heiji in the planetarium.
> 
> But we've got a lot of big stuff coming up! Next update will be February 25th. I'm already impatient for it! 
> 
> If you have thoughts/feelings/murderous intent/legitimate complaints please leave a comment! Feedback is super duper important to me! If you don't want to do something so formal, feel free to join the discord server and say howdy! We've got like 3 emojis with cowboy hats ready to greet any wayward cattlehand who might grace our presence.


	35. Chapter Four: Phoenix (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji talks to some of his friends, and they prepare for the wake. Nothing really of note happens in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

_ Once I’ve gotten some food in my stomach, the day is really my oyster. Who should I spend time with? _

**[SELECT: Aika]**

_ Aika definitely seemed like she was freaking out, but...not in a very pleasant to interact with way. She’s still lashing out, and doesn’t seem to have learned anything from her experience with Katherine. I’m not even sure I want to spend time with her right now, but it feels like my actions are being controlled by some sort of outside force. _

_ I’m definitely not going to follow that train of thought anywhere meaningful. _

_ Still...I guess I want to understand her better. She’s an enigma wrapped in a bad attitude and sheathed in cigarette smell. Maybe if I knew her better, she’d stop being such a weirdo all the time. _

_...That doesn’t seem likely, but I should give it a shot. _

_ I find her in the Planetarium after looking through literally every other room in the house. I can’t say I expected her to be chilling in one of the seats, her feet up on the seat in front of her, head tilted back to look at the lazily spinning display. _

_ As she hears me approach, she scrambles slightly to replace her sunglasses on her face. _

_ Did I almost see her eyes for the first time? _

**SHUJI** : Hey.

**AIKA** : What do you want?

**SHUJI** : [Shrugs.] Maybe I just want to see the star show.

**AIKA** : Hmph. Fine.

**SHUJI** : I didn’t expect you to be here. Are you interested in space?

**AIKA** : Not more than the average person, I imagine. I came here to think.

**SHUJI** : Thinking about anything interesting?

**AIKA** : Hmm...Maybe. Do you know anything about science?

**SHUJI** : I hear that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

**AIKA** : I suppose that’s true. I heard that you don’t know what your talent is. It could be something related to science, you know.

**SHUJI** : You came here to think about my talent? Really?

**AIKA** : No. I’ve been musing on my experiments. I haven’t gone this long without going to the lab in a very long time. I miss it.

_ I suppress the urge to express surprise that she misses things, and instead jump onto an opportunity to get her to talk about herself. _

**SHUJI** : It sounds like you really care about your science.

**AIKA** : [Irritated] Of course I care about it. I’ve dedicated my life, my mind, my morals...everything that I am to it. It’s the most important thing a person could do.

**SHUJI** : How did you get into it?

**AIKA** : Have you ever wanted to change the world?

**SHUJI** : Okay, not really an answer to my question. But, sure, I guess I have.

**AIKA** : Everyone here has. I think that’s the common bond of Hope’s Peak students. You don’t dedicate yourself to something without hungering for change. Everyone here wants to impact the world somehow, to make it better than it was before.

_ That is a shockingly optimistic stance for Aika. I’m a little overwhelmed by it. _

**SHUJI** : You want to give everyone, like, powers? Right?

**AIKA** : Yes. It’s less silly when I say it, though.

**SHUJI** : I’m not sure that it is. You’re usually so negative and cruel, I’m a little flabbergasted about your whole ‘Let’s change the world so everyone has superpowers’ motif all of a sudden.

**AIKA** : Just because I don’t lay my heart out for everyone to see doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Do you know how people get “superpowers,” as you said?

**SHUJI** : Radiation? Or, uh, spider bites?

**AIKA** : Pain.

**SHUJI** : Aika, if this is a fetish thing, I’m walking away immediately.

**AIKA** : No, idiot. I mean literal pain. Your body naturally wants to escape pain, danger, et cetera. I believe that the human body is capable of far more than it is currently doing, because of technology and the ease of living. If I force people into uncomfortable situations, perhaps they can break free of the easy molds they’ve fit themselves into. 

**SHUJI** : Aika?

**AIKA** : What?

**SHUJI** : Are you saying that you torture people?

**AIKA** : No. I’m saying I’m unlocking people’s potential for abilities beyond our current understanding of human physiology. It’s like you’re not even listening.

**SHUJI** : Okay. I’ll just...Okay. But what I really want to know is how someone gets started in on any of this. Where’d all this come from?

**AIKA** : Oh, that’s simple. My father is a librarian.

**SHUJI** : Right, that explains everything. No extra information needed.

**AIKA** : [Chuckles.] You really want to know? My whole childhood?

**SHUJI** : I’m curious, I guess. I don’t understand you at all as a person.

**AIKA** : That’s good.

**SHUJI** : Which part?

**AIKA** : Curiosity. It’s good. I suppose I should reward it...Fine. My father wanted me to have hobbies when I was young, so I read a lot. And much of it was fantasy. Contemporary fantasy, in particular, caught my attention.

**SHUJI** : So, people in the real world but with magic?

**AIKA** : Yes. As a child, I asked if that was really possible. My family didn’t want to discourage me from any interests I might have, so they said it was possible. They were lying, as far as they knew. But they bought me more books on the matter, and as I leaned toward scientific journals, they did their best to accomodate me.

**SHUJI** : This is your adopted family, right? Or were you making up the whole adoption thing?

**AIKA** : I’m really adopted. I’ll let you in on a secret.

**SHUJI** : I usually don’t like your secrets…

**AIKA** : I don’t remember my birth parents, and I don’t care. Being adopted hasn’t impacted me as a person at all. My parents were loving, good, kind people who lied to me a lot to make me feel better about my odd interests.

**SHUJI** : I feel like most parents do that.

**AIKA** : True. But most parents aren’t so encouraging as to help you pay rent on a lab space when you’re 13.

**SHUJI** : Wow, yeah, that’s pretty much above and beyond.

**AIKA** : I think it was partially out of desperation for me to have an outlet. If it weren’t that, I might have convinced my cousin to jump off the roof again.

**SHUJI** : You did  _ what? _

**AIKA** : I wanted to know if panic and urgency would be enough to let her fly, or have some kind of invulnerability. Faith is an incredible motivator, you know. She was fine.

**SHUJI** : I guess that’s a relief--

**AIKA** : Only a broken leg.

**SHUJI** : That’s not fine!

**AIKA** : It’s fine. We’re still close.

**SHUJI** : Oh my God.

**AIKA** : She’s resilient, don’t worry about her. She’s not the one in a murder mansion, after all.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I guess she really should count her blessings?

**AIKA** : I do feel bad for them, though. My family, I mean. They’re good people.

**SHUJI** : You’re talking like you don’t think of yourself as a good person.

**AIKA** : Do you disagree?

**SHUJI** : I...well...You did try to frame Katherine--

**AIKA** : For a crime she committed, mind you.

**SHUJI** : --You haven’t done anything genuinely violent but you have done a lot to alienate everyone around you. I don’t think that makes you a bad person, but it definitely makes you difficult to be around sometimes.

**AIKA** : I appreciate your honesty. I don’t think I am a good person, but I believe I’m a necessary one. My work will be my legacy more than any of my interpersonal relations, and my work will make the world a better place. A fair exchange, I think.

**SHUJI** : Aika?

**AIKA** : What is it?

**SHUJI** : Why are you telling me all of this?

**AIKA** : Because you’re honest with me. You want to help everyone, to some extent, and you’re fundamentaly powerless in that endeavor, but it doesn’t make you a liar. You’ll tell me when I’m being horrible, although I already know it, but it doesn’t dent your compassion.

**SHUJI** : Isn’t that why Kata said he liked you?

**AIKA** : ...Yes. He said I was honest in my intentions. Not something I’ve been accused of often.

**SHUJI** : I think you’re more straight forward than you’d like to be.

**AIKA** : Just because I’ve told you about myself doesn’t mean you know me. Keep that in mind for the future.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I guess I will.

**AIKA** : You’d make an excellent test subject, you know. Your honesty combined with your curiosity and the fact that you’re a complete moron makes for very good testing parameters.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I’ll pass on any tests. Thanks.

**AIKA** : I’d like to ask you a question.

**SHUJI** : I’m not gonna promise I’ll answer. Just in case you ask me something gross or weird.

**AIKA** : Smart. Do you believe that human connection makes people stronger?

**SHUJI** : Yes.

**AIKA** : Even if that connection is fundamentally exploitable?

**SHUJI** : You said you were a bad person, but a necessary one, right? Human connection can be like that. It’s dangerous, because you can get your feelings hurt. But it’s necessary and healing by the same token. There’s loads of shades of grey out there, Aika.

**AIKA** : Hmm. Maybe. I’d like to think about that more.

_ She leans back in her chair again, looking at the ceiling. I think this is my cue to leave. She’s definitely given me a lot to think about as well. _

* * *

 

_ Today is the day of the wake, and Kyo and Yui are all in a fervor preparing everything. They’re doing arts, they’re doing crafts, they’re trying to get anyone tall to help them hang things, and everyone is mostly trying to stay out of their way. _

_ I find myself with an apple in my hands to snack on, and quite a bit of free time before I’m expected to help play caterer.  _

**[SELECT: Swimming Pool]**

_ I figure the pool is a good place to hang out, even if I don’t really feel like swimming with the lights on. The sound of the water lapping against the sides of the pool is a kind of comforting white noise that I appreciate from time to time. _

_ When I arrive, I see that Fumi and Heiji are already here, doing laps.  _

**SHUJI** : Would I be intruding if I decided to hang out here?

**HEIJI** : Maybe.

**FUMI** : Not at all!

**SHUJI** : Those are some pretty conflicting answers.

**HEIJI** : We’re just having a pretty personal chat, sis.

**FUMI** : No, we’re not. You’re just being bossy.

**SHUJI** : So, should I go…?

**FUMI** : Actually, I’d like to hear Shuji’s opinions. He has good opinions that are right and not what you’re saying.

**HEIJI** : [Shrugs.] C’mon, Fumi, he’s always gonna side with me anyway.

**FUMI** : Is this some sort of bros before hos thing?

**HEIJI** : No, it’s just because me and Shuji are tight!

**FUMI** : I’ll have you know Shuji and I are also tight!

_ Should I get involved in whatever this is? _

[>> **Yes** << / No]

**SHUJI** : Since I’m tight with both of you, it seems like I’d make a pretty impartial judge, right?

_ They nod and beckon me over. I sit next to the pool, rolling up my pant legs and sticking my feet in the water as I munch on my apple. _

**SHUJI** : Okay, so what are you guys fighting about?

**FUMI** : Whether or not I can be trusted to make my own choices.

**SHUJI** : Well, I’m gonna come right out of the gate with a firm pro-making your own choices stance.

**HEIJI** : C’mon, Fumi. You know it’s not that.

**FUMI** : So you’re saying I can choose to do what I want?

**HEIJI** : Sure you can! The problem is, the last time you made a choice like this, you got pregnant.

**FUMI** : Well that’s not gonna happen this time!

**HEIJI** : No, it probably won’t. But we are in like, you know, a murder house.

**SHUJI** : Are you guys talking about Roxxy?

**FUMI** : Yes!

**HEIJI** : No.

**SHUJI** : That really doesn’t seem like a grey area type question.

**FUMI** : He has a problem with Roxxy!

**HEIJI** : I don’t. I just think, like, dating is something that comes with a lot of heightened emotions. Goes without saying, right?

**FUMI** : How would you know? You’ve never gone steady with anyone in your life!

**HEIJI** : Miki killed someone because they were dating Katherine, and then Katherine killed them right back for it. Seems pretty straightforward.

**FUMI** : That’s not gonna happen with Roxxy!

**HEIJI** : I just want you to think for a moment before diving into something!

**SHUJI** : What are you worried about happening, Heiji?

**HEIJI** : I don’t want Fumi to get hurt.

**FUMI** : I can take care of myself!

**SHUJI** : Do you think Roxxy would hurt her?

**HEIJI** : I’m just saying, I don’t think this is like, a super ideal environment for dating. How do you even know if it’s real feelings or just like, fear of death and wanting human connection to stave that off, right?

_ I’ve known Heiji long enough now to know that he’s smarter than he initially lets on, but when he says on the nose stuff like this it still surprises me. _

**FUMI** : I know myself, okay?

**HEIJI** : But do you know Roxxy?

**FUMI** : Of course I do! And I want to know her even better.

**HEIJI** : How long has it been? Three weeks? 

**FUMI** : But I feel like I know her!

**HEIJI** : And that doesn’t scare you, even a little bit?

**FUMI** : No! I feel safe with her.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, that’s what scares me. You’re reckless with your love. It’s something sweet about you, but not a good idea in here.

_ Frustrated, Fumi splashes him with water. He seems unbothered. _

**FUMI** : I haven’t been reckless with my love in years! I have stayed inside, I have written love stories for other people, and kept everything to myself! I took care of Hisato, I resisted any dalliances! I could die at any time and--

**HEIJI** : That’s what I’m talking about! You’re not being cautious here, when your literal life is on the line!

**FUMI** : Do you want me to die without ever getting to hold a girl’s hand? 

**HEIJI** : I’m trying to make sure you don’t die at all!

**FUMI** : Roxxy would never hurt me!

**HEIJI** : Maybe she won’t! But what if she breaks your heart, even on accident, and it makes you even more reckless? A sad Fumi is a Fumi that’s easy to take advantage of.

**FUMI** : I can take care of myself! I’m 19 years old!

_ Now Heiji seems agitated, and splashes back at her. _

**HEIJI** : You’re a mom! You can’t be selfish! If something happens to you in here, Hisato doesn’t have anybody!

**SHUJI** : Hey, hey, guys. Maybe calm down.

**HEIJI** : I’m not gonna calm down when it’s my sister’s life on the line!

**SHUJI** : I think you’re being overdramatic about this!

**FUMI** : Yeah!

**SHUJI** : But you should be able to respect that he’s concerned about you! He’s not just being a dick and trying to control you. 

**HEIJI** : Thank you.

**FUMI** : So are you taking his side?

**SHUJI** : No. 

**HEIJI** : Aw, come on.

**SHUJI** : I think Fumi and Roxxy make a very cute couple. Both of you seem to be a little bit more emotionally stable than Miki and Katherine, not to speak ill of the dead, and I just get the feeling that you two have known each other longer than three weeks.

**FUMI** : Yeah! I don’t know what it is. Maybe memories from high school? But I  _ know _ her. 

**HEIJI** : I just hope it isn’t in the biblical sense, yet.

**FUMI** : I’m not about to jump into something like that. I learned my lesson the first time.

**HEIJI** : Just...make sure you’ve thought about it, okay? 

**FUMI** : I’ve been struggling to think about anything else.

**HEIJI** : You’re that serious about her?

**FUMI** : I really, really like her. I like the way I feel about myself when I’m around her. I like how she fills silences with humming when we can’t think of anything else to say. I like everything about her. I like...Ugh! I just like her!

**HEIJI** : Haha, okay. No need to try to freestyle a love letter.

**FUMI** : It’s a first draft. I definitely need to work on it, though...

**HEIJI** : Look, I’ll support you no matter what. You know that, right? But I’m your brother! I can’t help but worry about you.

**FUMI** : As long as you don’t make it weird.

**HEIJI** : Oh, I’m gonna make it weird. I’m gonna be spying on all your dates. I’ll get a big creepy coat and a fake mustache. I’ll hide behind potted plants. It’ll be dope.

_ She splashes him, but this time it’s with affection. He splashes back, and she dives underwater. It seems like things are back to normal, for now. _

_ A peaceful few moments pass as the two continue on their laps, playfully trying to outpace each other as they go. I finish my apple and pocket the core, which is gross, but I don’t want it to fall into the pool when I’m not paying attention because that would be far grosser. _

**SHUJI** : So…’go steady,’ huh?

**FUMI** : What? Yeah. Is that weird to say?

**SHUJI** : No, not at all. Not if you’re one hundred years old.

**HEIJI** : Hey, if she’s a hundred then what does that make me?

**FUMI** : Logically, also one hundred, right?

**HEIJI** : Hey!

**SHUJI** : [Laughing.] You’re the one with the flip phone, so…

_ The twins look at each other simultaneously, then turn to me with wickedly similar smiles on their faces.  _

_ Uh oh. _

_ They start to swim toward me. _

**SHUJI** : Oh no, I was just kidding, guys, I--

_ Before I can finish my sentence, they grab my legs and pull. _

_ I guess I didn’t have to worry about the apple core getting in the water. _

_ Fortunately, this was not a concerted attempt to drown me, so after I flap around uselessly for a bit they laughingly restore me to dry land. _

**HEIJI** : I don’t know if you deserved that, but it was fun.

**FUMI** : You deserved it.

**SHUJI** : No, that’s fair.

_ I excuse myself to my room to dry off and get new clothes, leaving them to their water-based tomfoolery, tossing my apple core in the waste bin by my desk. _

_ Once dry and in clean clothes, I check the clock. Pretty soon, the wake is gonna start. I guess I’d better start prepping food, since Kyo wants real food instead of snacks this time. _

_ I head over to the library first, because I know I’m gonna need a cookbook to make anything fancy. There, I find Isei thumbing through a very old looking book with a furrowed brow. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, are you good?

**ISEI** : Hm? Oh, hey Shuji. Yeah, I’m fine.

_ He closes the book and looks at me. He looks tired. _

**SHUJI** : What’s that?

**ISEI** : A very, very old Hope’s Peak yearbook. There’s no way it’s relevant, it’s like 30 years old. 

**SHUJI** : Anything interesting?

**ISEI** : Not really. I mean, I guess it’s sort of interesting that way back in the day, all the talents they chose for people were very broad. Like, these days I’m a biographer. Back then I would have been a general “author,” instead. 

**SHUJI** : So they’ve gotten more specific as time has passed?

**ISEI** : In this class, they had someone who was just a Super High School Level Artist. I can’t tell from any of this if they paint, sculpt, or what. Maybe they did all of it? It’s really hard to say. I think I prefer the specificity we have now.

**SHUJI** : I can see the appeal of the broader ones, though. If you get accepted as a performance artist, or whatever, then you’re probably only going to want to continue doing performance art and not really branch out. But if you’re acknowledged as a great artist in general, then you can go from sculpture to painting to digital art, and still know that you’re a great artist. Right?

**ISEI** : Mm, I see your point. But it’s just philosophical at this point, right? It doesn’t matter.

**SHUJI** : True. Do you know where the cook books are?

**ISEI** : Oh, sure. Did Kyo hire you as the caterer again?

**SHUJI** : Yup. This time they want real food and everything, so I figure I’ll need some recipes.

_ He leads me to the cookbook section of the library, and helps me pick out a handful that might be helpful. We carry the armfuls of books to the kitchen together, and spend a few minutes looking through them. _

**SHUJI** : I’m liking this muffin recipe…

**ISEI** : Shouldn’t we start with appetizers?

**SHUJI** : I’ve got it worked out; we start with baking something, because baking takes a long time, and while the muffins are in the oven, we make other stuff!

**ISEI** : [Stroking chin] Okay, I’m following your logic. Let’s go nuts.

**SHUJI** : [Fiercely] We’re gonna go apeshit on these muffins.

**ISEI** : Fuck yeah! Okay, so we need...flour?

_ We start by assembling the ingredients, getting out each and every thing we’re gonna need, setting them on the countertop, and staring at them. _

_ It’s the moment of peace before the storm. _

_ It all falls apart during the measuring process. Cinnamon, when airborne, results in a lot of sneezing if you’re not careful. Sneezing, as I should have expected, is not an ideal state of being for when you’re holding quite a lot of flour. _

_ Several floury explosions later we get wise and put on aprons, just in time to spill a good third of the batter down my front.  _

//CG: Shuji and Isei are both covered in flour. Isei has tied his hair back, and his face just has a big smear of flour across his cheek. Shuji is proudly holding a tray of unbaked muffins in front of him, flour notably on his nose and batter just slopped down the front of his apron, while Isei holds a book and points at it with just a tinge of panic.

**SHUJI** : Victory!

**ISEI** : It’s not victory until we put it in the oven!

**SHUJI** : Almost victory!

**ISEI** : I didn’t know baking could be so hard…

**SHUJI** : It can’t be that much harder than interviewing criminals and writing books on them, right?

**ISEI** : It’s SO much harder!

**SHUJI** : Did you pre-heat the oven?

**ISEI** : Pre-heat the...Oh my god. Do we need to do that?

**SHUJI** : Yup! 

_ He does as I say, and I set the muffin tray to the side. _

**SHUJI** : Alright, these are ready to go as soon as the oven beeps! In the meantime…

**ISEI** : We should take on the next thing, right? What’s the plan?

**SHUJI** : Fancy hors d’oeuvres coming up?

**ISEI** : Okay! Yeah. Yes. I can do this.

**SHUJI** : Don’t give up! You’re already a famous biographer. How many famous biographers are also famous cooks?

**ISEI** : Oh, right. Cuz, you know, everything I do is for fame and fortune.

_ He’s being sarcastic, and I can tell he’s just playing around with me, but there’s a slight twitch to his face that makes me think I might have hit a sore spot. _

**SHUJI** : Why do you do it? The biography thing?

**ISEI** : I think criminals are interesting, I guess.

**SHUJI** : Sure, I assumed that much. But going from thinking criminals are interesting and becoming a world famous biographer and two totally different levels of involvement.

**ISEI** : Yeah, you’ve got me there. Here, let’s look through here for what we want to cook while we talk.

**SHUJI** : Sure.

_ I pull out the cookbook, and there’s no place to put it except a counter with only  _ light _ flour coverage. Or...is this the sugar counter? I think it’s the counter where I lost control of the sugar. I pull out a napkin and place the book on that. _

**ISEI** : It’s silly, but I guess I want to change the world.

**SHUJI** : That’s not silly.

**ISEI** : It is a little bit. That’s why I wanted to get famous; I wanted my ideas to go far. It’s not like I want fame for the sake of it.

**SHUJI** : That makes sense. But why criminals?

**ISEI** : Well, my whole thing is about reform of social structures and--

**SHUJI** : No, I mean why  _ just _ criminals? Lots of poor people can demonstrate how the system is fucked up. Plus, I don’t know a lot about the world of biographies, but doesn’t everyone pick someone famous? I bet a biography on an absolute nobody, just someone who lives their life and works with what they have, would be pretty convention breaking.

**ISEI** : I...hadn’t thought of it.

**SHUJI** : So why criminals?

**ISEI** : My aunt’s a private eye, and deals with a lot of criminals, I guess. I had access to them, and I wanted to know what happened to put them into those positions, so I started seeking them out and asking them questions.

**SHUJI** : I like that. I like your story about saving the world, too, but I like this more.

**ISEI** : You like it? Why?

**SHUJI** : It tells me more about you. Not Isei Soga the Biographer, the Hope’s Peak Graduate, the Boy Genius. I just wanna know you. My friend, Isei.

_ He smiles at me, and I smile back. There’s a moment where we just look at each other. I feel smart, having made these points, and he seems to understand where I’m coming from a little bit better. It’s nice. _

_ But it can’t last forever. _

**ISEI** : Ahem, okay, let’s pick a recipe.

**SHUJI** : Sushi sounds good. What do you think?

**ISEI** : Let’s check if we’ve got everything first.

_ Sure enough, the kitchen is stocked with raw fish, rice, seaweed, and a handful of other things to make sure there’s variety to it. _

_ We take out everything we need and set it on the counter. _

_ Then we look at the cookbook. _

_ Then we look at the things. _

_ Then we look at the cookbook. _

**ISEI** : This looks really hard.

**SHUJI** : You’re not...wrong. But let’s try!

_ Making rice is easy, so we start with that, but problems soon present themselves in the form of cutting fish. _

_ By the time Noriko enters, we’ve gone through a whole sheet of seaweed without making a single roll of sushi. _

**NORIKO** : Hey, I thought you might be in here to do cooking things and...I...what happened in here?

_ As she enters, the oven beeps and I abandon my fishy despair for a muffin-inspired delight. _

**SHUJI** : It’s pre-heated!

**NORIKO** : You’re cooking sushi in the oven?

**ISEI** : Muffins!

**NORIKO** : Sushi...muffins?

_ I slide the tray into the oven and get out an egg timer, consulting the cookbook for how long to leave it in for. _

**SHUJI** : Now we’re onto sushi! Muffins are of the past, and of the future!

**NORIKO** : Very poetic! Also, sidenote, this room is disgusting. Was this a product of the muffins?

**ISEI** : It was a battle, but we won it.

**NORIKO** : I’m very proud of you. Do you need help?

**ISEI** : God, yes. You know how to make sushi?

**NORIKO** : Not at all, but that won’t stop me! I do have one request though.

**SHUJI** : Sure, what’s up?

_ Noriko steps forward and kindly takes me by the shoulders, looking into my eyes with an understanding yet wise gaze. _

**NORIKO** : Clean the kitchen before embarking on this quest.

_ Isei and I exchange a guilty look, as though our mom just came in and saw the state of our room, before laughing. I salute and Noriko salutes back before helping us clean the kitchen. Isei and Noriko are well meaning but both pretty clumsy with cleaning, so I go over it when they’re done and make sure we’ve gotten everything ready.  _

**SHUJI** : I don’t know how this didn’t occur to me. I’ve worked in food service before, and I just decided to ignore the mess anyway.

**ISEI** : Well, I won’t be reporting you to management. Or, uh, is Noriko management?

**NORIKO** : I know less about food preparation than Shuji does. 

**ISEI** : Still, having someone in charge is kinda nice. You did tell us to clean up.

**NORIKO** : People  _ do _ benefit from guidance. 

**SHUJI** : Hence the cookbook!

**NORIKO** : Right, let’s attempt the sushi. 

_ The three of us physically and emotionally roll up our sleeves and get to work on the Herculean task of making sushi without destroying the kitchen or ourselves. Time passes fairly quickly as we chatter amongst ourselves, making the ugliest sushi rolls I’ve seen in my life. _

**ISEI** : I say this with the utmost respect, but how did you work in food service and make such ugly food?

**SHUJI** : [Laughing.] I mostly worked in the back. I was too young to work most places legally, so I’d get paid under the table and clean the kitchens.

**NORIKO** : [Frowning.] You worked illegally?

**ISEI** : Do you not approve?

**NORIKO** : Well...laws exist for a reason. They’re to protect people.

**ISEI** : Hmm. What about unjust laws?

**NORIKO** : There are laws to change those laws. 

**ISEI** : So you think working within the system always works?

**NORIKO** : In a land in which laws are based on morals, then yes.

**SHUJI** : I don’t think you can say that about all laws, though, right? I wasn’t hurting anyone by working as a kid.

**NORIKO** : Except yourself! Kids are supposed to be in school, right?

**ISEI** : We’re all famous for being professionals as children. I think child labor laws are actively working against us.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, were you in school when you were doing knightly stuff?

_ Noriko bites her lip. _

**NORIKO** : I...was not always the best student. I dedicated my studies elsewhere. I see that I’m being something of a hypocrite.

**SHUJI** : Don’t worry about it. Just think about that, right?

_ Noriko nods, but continues frowning as she attempts to pack rice into the seaweed roll.  A tense silence hangs over us for a few moments, all of us now working quietly next to each other, before Roxxy and Heiji enter. _

**SHUJI** : Oh hey, look at you! All dressed!

**ROXXY** : Me?

**SHUJI** : No, Heiji.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, look at me! I’ve got so many clothes on!

**ISEI** : You guys were hanging out naked?

**HEIJI** : Not today.

**NORIKO** : But another time?

**SHUJI** : He was swimming! He was in swim trunks! 

**ROXXY** : I’m curious about this naked time too, actually!

**HEIJI** : The bath house, dudes!

**SHUJI** : I wasn’t naked!

**HEIJI** : I was!

**ISEI** : Why were you naked?

**HEIJI** : You try taking a bath fully clothed. It is  _ not _ as efficient as it sounds.

**ROXXY** : I guess in theory, it would be washing you and your clothes at the same time?

**HEIJI** : And crawling in the washing machine is something I’ve always been stopped from, so it’s really the only way to multitask like that, you know what I mean?

**ROXXY** : Oh, like washing machine surfing!

**HEIJI** : Yeah!

**NORIKO** : Hmm. That seems unsafe.

**ROXXY** : What if you wore a helmet? That seems safer!

**HEIJI** : I’ll get shoulder pads if I need to. They probably could get washed too, right?

**NORIKO** : Yeah I’m really not liking where this is going.

**SHUJI** : Not to be an enabler here, but Noriko does have some safety padding.

**ISEI** : Not to be morbid, but if you drowned yourself in a washing machine, would we still have a trial?

_ The idea is so ridiculous but so dark I struggle to contain my laughter at the idea, but Heiji doesn’t seem to have any compunctions about laughing about it, which prompts all of us to guffaw at the concept. _

**NORIKO** : [Laughing.] Let’s not find out, okay?

**ROXXY** : Ma’am yes ma’am! Anyway, like, what are you guys doing in here? It looks like you’re making sculptures out of garbage, but I totes smell something burning.

**ISEI** : [Sadly.] It’s sushi…

**SHUJI** : And it’s muffins! 

**ISEI** : The muffins!

**NORIKO** : Oh no!

_ We turn, as one, to the oven. How we managed to ignore the burning smell is beyond me, but we surge toward it and carefully remove only slightly blackened muffins. They’re small, sad, and smell a bit like charcoal, but at least they probably taste good! _

_ Nope, actually, hold that thought. _

_ They look super gross. _

**ROXXY** : Wow, it looks like everything I’ve ever baked!

**HEIJI** : You’ve baked? No offense, you just don’t seem like the kitchen type.

**ROXXY** : Not like, on purpose. But sometimes for Christmas or whatever my mom wants us to make gifts for people. We’re both uber bad at it, so it’s like a running joke now. If we make something edible, I think all of our family friends owe us, like, a bunch of money. 

**SHUJI** : Honestly, I don’t know how everyone in this house has survived so long without being able to cook.

**ROXXY** : You’re one to talk! Look at your zombie cakes here!

**ISEI** : Our muffins may be ugly, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love them.

**NORIKO** : Already, you are a more loving parent than most.

**HEIJI** : Can we help make anything? I can make a mean protein smoothie but…

**ROXXY** : Gross, that’s very much not party food.

**HEIJI** : It’s a versatile meal slash drink!

**SHUJI** : I think meals and drinks should be separate most of the time, and that’s the issue.

**HEIJI** : Yeah, I don’t follow.

**ISEI** : I’m sure we could find something for them to do. Sushi alone isn’t gonna be enough for the whole group to eat, right?

**NORIKO** : Here, look through this book. See if anything looks tasty. And manageable. I trust you to know your own skill level.

**ROXXY** : Wow, Nori-chan is so cool! And totally overestimates us!

_ While Roxxy and Heiji pore over the book desperately looking for something easy enough to make, more people enter. _

**PV** : Oh, this is where everyone is.

**AIKA** : This is hardly everyone. 

**SHUJI** : Oh hey, guys! Welcome to the pre-party.

**ISEI** : Are you two getting along now? 

**AIKA** : No.

**PV** : Yes.

**ROXXY** : Wow! The drama!

**HEIJI** : I feel like that’s usually a mutually agreed upon thing, but I’m liking the switch up. Makes things exciting.

**NORIKO** : Keep reading your book, please.

**ROXXY** : [Saluting.] Yes Ma’am!

**PV** : Do you need help cooking?

**NORIKO** : Well, we’re a little bit full--

**SHUJI** : This kitchen is huge, all of us could fit in here. If you can find something to do, you’re welcome!

**ISEI** : Is that cool with you, Noriko?

**NORIKO** : Of course. Now, Heiji and Roxxy; do you need help selecting something?

**PV** : C’mon, let them choose their own task. You’re not gonna get anywhere bossing them around.

**HEIJI** : Yeah! I want to have the creative freedom to fuck up a meal all on my own!

**AIKA** : Experimentation does sound fun…

**ROXXY** : Wait, I don’t wanna fuck up! A little bit of guidance from a cool leader like Nori-chan seems okay!

**PV** : Heiji, I’ll help you play with the recipes.

**AIKA** : I’ll observe. It should be...interesting…

**SHUJI** : Cooking isn’t a science experiment, Aika. You should get your hands dirty.

**AIKA** : Oh? Should I?

**SHUJI** : Don’t make me regret my word choice.

**NORIKO** : For once, I’m with Aika on this. Cooking is, like, chemistry? Right? You have to measure, and…

**ISEI** : Well that explains why the muffins came out so poorly. I’m a biographer and Shuji is a mystery. Not a lick of chemistry between us.

**PV** : Those are...muffins?

**SHUJI** : [Sadly.] They’re more like a dream of muffins…

**AIKA** : Or a nightmare.

**NORIKO** : Be nice!

**AIKA** : Don’t tell me what to do.

**ROXXY** : Tell  _ me _ what to do! We still haven’t picked anything!

**NORIKO** : Alright, what kind of--

**ROXXY** : Wait! I’m gonna go find Fumi! She’d love this!

_ Roxxy sprints out of the room and comes back shortly with Fumi, who is looking baffled and holding a book. When she enters, she seems pleased, and allows Noriko and Roxxy to get her up to date on the task at hand. _

_ Noriko laughs and leans over Roxxy’s shoulder to look at the cookbook while Fumi points at things that look interesting. PV and Heiji meanwhile leave the cookbook alone and start rummaging through the cabinets and pantry trying to invent their own recipe. Isei and I are left with trying to cut the sushi into bite size pieces, which doesn’t seem very plausible given how bloated our rolls turned out to be. _

_ Aika perches on a counter and watches all of us intently. _

_ A comfortable silence descends as all of us work on our various food projects, the smell of burned misshapen muffins hanging over all of us in a heavy handed metaphor for the doom and gloom of the killing game lingering like a bad small in our hair and clothing. _

_ It’s broken by Heiji and PV’s giggling. _

**SHUJI** : Making good progress?

**PV** : Shuji, weigh in. How hard do you think it would be to make a multi-tiered cake before the party?

**SHUJI** : That sounds very hard!

**HEIJI** : Nah, how hard is stacking things? You just put ‘em on top of each other!

**ISEI** : You wanna make a cake?

**HEIJI** : Shaped like a wave!

**AIKA** : Is this wake to honor the dead, or to honor your ocean fetish?

**HEIJI** : Oh...good point.

**ROXXY** : No need to bully him over his ocean fetish! Wakes are also about looking forward! And that means looking forward to seeing the ocean!

**PV** : You’re really out here, not denying the ocean fetish thing?

**HEIJI** : [Shrugs.] Can’t deny it if it’s true.

**AIKA** : [Containing laughter.] Seriously? You want to dick down the ocean?

**HEIJI** : Aika, I’ll have you know. I am a proud power bottom. The ocean is going to dick me down or not at all.

**FUMI** : Heiji! Don’t say that!

**NORIKO** : I do think she has a point, though--

**ISEI** : About the fetish?

**NORIKO** : No. About honoring the dead. It’s been...hard to talk about, but I think we should.

_ Oppressive silence falls on us. We avoid eye contact with one another, turning quietly to what we were working on. We look at our hands. Anywhere but each other. _

_ But isn’t this wrong? Isn’t this the opposite of what we’re supposed to be working toward? _

_ We need togetherness, somehow. Noriko is right. We should talk. _

**SHUJI** : Do you guys have any really good memories from...from when everyone was alive? I think the last wake was really great. Miki is the one who took the picture of all of us stacking things on Aika.

**AIKA** : Stacking what on Aika?

**ROXXY** : Or, were any of you there when Katherine would just pick Miki up when they wanted to reach something off of a shelf? Like, they wouldn’t even say anything. Just  _ hup _ and they’d be on Kathy’s shoulders?

**PV** : Katherine was so...nice. Underneath it all, you know? She’d wall herself off, but given any instinctual reaction, she would care for others. She liked my music, didn’t you know? Bo did, as well. They actually had a really in depth knowledge of piano.

**NORIKO** : Bo was so knowledgeable about so many surprising things. 

**ISEI:** Like climbing.

**SHUJI** : Climbing?

**ISEI:** Yeah, me, specifically. They’d run at me from across the room and just vault onto my shoulders. [Laughs.] They said it was practice. Just...talk about a diversified skill set, right?

**NORIKO:** Do you remember how they and Lani would go on and on about science?

**AIKA** : Lani was an environmental scientist, but he really knew a lot about the scientific method in general. We talked a lot about funding and research...We had more in common than I thought.

**ISEI** : Alena was like that too. It was hard to get a word out of her, but she was super into botany as a science in addition to the practical application stuff. 

**FUMI** : You wanna know the weirdest thing? I find myself wishing Masanori were around, too. He was so harsh, but...he really did see through things sometimes. And I have questions about sewing, and...if I’d gotten to know him, maybe he could have been nice. I tried talking to him, a few times. There was something kind in him, too, deep down.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I get what you mean. Kata and I didn’t get along, but after playing through some of his work...He can’t have been all bad, can he?

**HEIJI** : Lots of us have good and bad in us, right? And all of us have these secret skills, too. Did you all know Miki was super good at math? 

**FUMI** : Well, so are you!

**HEIJI** : Yeah! We talked about it, some.

**ROXXY** : Hey, Fumi, do you remember Miki’s attempt at a love letter?

**FUMI** : Oh my goodness...it was really bad, wasn’t it?

**ROXXY** : So bad! But they gave it to Katherine anyway!

**NORIKO** : I never heard about this. What happened?

**FUMI** : Well, Miki wanted love advice, not realizing I’ve had a total of one boyfriend and that didn’t go well. I told them to write a letter, and they ran it by me to check...it was bad. So flowery, no real substance.

**ROXXY** : It boiled down to, like, ‘I think you’re cool! Stop it!’

**ISEI** : Yeah, that sounds like Miki.

**FUMI** : Were you there when they gave it to her?

**ROXXY** : Nuh-uh.

**AIKA** : I...may have been. That would make sense, based on what I saw.

**PV** : Well, tell us!

**AIKA** : I was in the hallway, outside our suites, going to my room when Miki approached Katherine. Naturally, I eavesdropped. 

**NORIKO** : [Frowning.] Hmm.

**AIKA** : Miki gave Katherine a very folded up piece of paper and watched nervously as Katherine spent a full two minutes unfolding it to read what was written inside. There was a long silence, presumably because Katherine isn’t a great reader--

**FUMI** : No, that would have been because of Miki’s handwriting. It’s usually not bad but they were very, very nervous writing it.

**AIKA** : And Katherine literally started weeping on the spot. Miki thought they’d done something wrong, but Katherine I think was so happy she had just melted into a puddle of tears. It was gross, so I left.

**ROXXY** : That’s so sweet!

**SHUJI** : That’s romantic, I never knew how they actually officially started dating.

**FUMI** : [Tearing up] I love this story…

**AIKA** : As I said, gross.

**HEIJI** : Y’know, I thought it was kinda silly. 

**ISEI** : The letter?

**HEIJI** : Nah, like...dating. In here. This is such a stressful situation that I feel like any strong feelings would be a product of the situation, you know? It’s all life or death so suddenly falling in love, which is normally a really extreme emotion, just feels a lot easier, right?

**PV** : You always shock me with your level of insight, Heiji.

**HEIJI** : Haha, yeah. I do that. So at first I was pretty dubious, you get me? But...I don’t know. It really seems like they genuinely loved each other.

**NORIKO** : Perhaps they had the same connection before we all lost their memories.

**AIKA** : That would explain the feeling of the ‘spark’ between them, as it were.

**ROXXY** : Yeah! Our memories might be caput, but I really feel like I knew a lot of you. So falling in love with someone you already know really well, even if you don’t remember...it’s natural, right?

**ISEI** : Hmm...

**SHUJI** : I wonder what we were like.

**FUMI** : You mean before we lost our memories? Why should we be any different?

**SHUJI** : I don’t know. I guess I feel like I’ve already changed so much as a person since we’ve been in here, because of all the trauma and all. So all of us interacting in a totally stress free environment--

**ROXXY** : Like, school isn’t stressful?

**HEIJI** : School is cake compared to this.

**NORIKO** : True, this experience definitely puts the fear and tension from wanting to pass a class into perspective.

**ISEI** : Do you think we were all friends?

**AIKA** : Doubtful.

**SHUJI** : I hope so. All of you are important to me now, and it’s hard to imagine that not being true.

**AIKA** : …

**ROXXY** : Oh, Shu-chan! I love you! 

**FUMI** : What a sweet sentiment!

**HEIJI** : Dude! We all love you!

_ I blush and tuck my head down, as if to step out of a spotlight that isn’t there, while everyone crowds around me. It’s like being the only kid at a family function; people really want to pinch your cheeks and coo. Except this time it’s all people I’ve been through a lot with. Even Aika seems emotionally moved as Roxxy grabs her and pushes her toward me. _

_ In a sloppy sort of group hug, we gather around and I try very hard not to cry. I’m not sure it works.  _

_ Finally, we take a breath and step back.  _

**YUI** : Is this where everyone has been?

_ I turn around to see Yui at the door, frowning at us. _

**NORIKO** : Oh, are we late for the wake?

**YUI** : Hmph. It seems everyone gathered here instead of in the ballroom.

_ I look around. Wow, yeah. That’s everyone except for Kyo, now.  _

**SHUJI** : Oops!

**ROXXY** : C’mon in! I think this is better than a big party, anyway!

**YUI** : ...I’ll fetch Kyo. 

_ She turns on her heel sharply and steps away. _

**PV** : Did we upset her?

**FUMI** : I guess Kyo did put a lot of effort into the party…

**AIKA** : The party that all of us failed to show up to.

**ISEI** : I hope Kyo isn’t hurt by this.

_ Before too long, Kyo and Yui enter the kitchen to see all of us gathered around. They frown, assessing us and the messy food we’ve made. Their brow furrows as they glance up--presumably toward the ballroom--and then back down at us. _

**KYO** : It smells like burned food.

**ISEI** : Yeah, that’d be our fault.

**SHUJI** : I guess we all ended up here on accident, more or less. We, uh, made some shitty food! 

**PV** : And talked about those we’ve lost.

**KYO** : You guys...I’m such an idiot.

_ They smile, almost sadly. _

**YUI** : You are not.

**KYO** : I totally am! This is so much better than a big party. Who wants to wear a suit right now? You’re all...together. That’s what this is about. Togetherness. Thanks for showing me the way.

_ Kyo steps forward and plops down on the counter, beaming at all of us. _

**KYO** : So...catch me up on the conversation. What did I miss?

_ Yui steps in as well, taking position next to Noriko, who smiles down at her. Yui nervously smiles back, and it feels like we’re back to normal again. Roxxy animatedly recounts the conversation, and Kyo makes all the right noises and faces throughout. Once they’re to the point where everyone was hugging me in the story, they look past Roxxy at me and give me a friendly wink. _

_ I didn’t know a wink could look so sympathetic, but here we are. _

_ The conversation devolves from there, everyone fracturing into groups and trying to eat the very ugly food we made.  _

_ Before I leave for the night, I can’t help but look at everyone in this group with affection. Even the people I don’t necessarily get along with, I enjoy some aspect of. We’ve been through hell together already. No one person should have to witness as much death as we have, but we’ve been there together. We’re stronger as a group. _

_ I want to think that nothing can come between us, now. _

_ I’m probably wrong. _

* * *

 

**THE FEY** : Good mooooorning! It’s it’s it’s it’s TIME! Everyone report to the foyer or I’ll light you on fire! Can I do that? YESSSS I CAN!!!

_ She cackles as the feed cuts off. _

_ Well, that’s one way to start the day. _

_ Not, like, a particularly  _ good _ way. But it’s what I’ve got so I guess I have to work with it. _

_ I pull on clothes as quickly as I can, and pull my hair up into a ponytail as I leave the room. A few others are coming out of their rooms at the same time, and we exchange puzzled looks. None of us have really been talking about The Fey’s...recent eccentricities, because it makes us all extremely uncomfortable, but now it seems the elephant in the room has started to trumpet. _

_ It’s not long before all of us have gathered in the foyer in front of the stairs. _

_ The room feels very empty, with the few of us that are left. We all woke up in here, and it was crowded when we first met. _

_ Now it’s roomy. _

_ I think I preferred it before. _

_ The Fey hovers at the foot of the stairs, fidgeting, next to something large covered in a cloth. It’s form is obfuscated by the cover, but The Fey seems excited about it so I’m sure I won’t like it. She assesses us slowly, jerking her whole body to look at each of us individually. _

**THE FEY** : You’ve all made very good friends, haven’t you? Haven’t you? Haven’t you?

_ Nervous, I nod, hoping that she’ll stop asking if she gets a response. Nobody speaks. _

**THE FEY** : You’re liars! You know that? Liars! Full of nasty little ssssssecrets you’ll use to betray each other! I’m sure you won’t be such good friends when--

**???** : Hello?

_ Our attention is immediately drawn away from The Fey. _

_ Someone is coming down the stairs. _

_ Someone new. _

_ Impossible. _

_ He’s shorter than I am, with long blue hair in a ponytail, sharp purple eyes, and a tight black sweater. He’s… _

_ I know that face. _

**???** : Shuji?

**SHUJI** : Kinosuke?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA I LIED! SOMETHING OF NOTE *DID* HAPPEN!
> 
> Next update is March 11th.
> 
> :)


	36. Chapter Four: Phoenix (3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter of explanations.

_ What is the difference between unconsciousness and sleep? Is it dreams? _

_ I don’t dream in this darkness. I ache. But I do not dream. _

_ My hip hurts. It feels like I fell. Did I fall? Any sensation in my body is alien to me. I’ve been away from it for so long. _

_ The ache in my hip is more present now. I can feel my body lying in a too-soft bed. My eyes hurt. My everything hurts. I’m so thirsty I could die. _

_ I open my eyes. _

_ I’m in my suite. _

**SHUJI** : What...happened?

_ I lurch out bed, still in my clothes, feeling weak. I’m trembling as I step to the door and wrench it open. _

_ Was that a dream? Is he here? How could he be? _

_ Others are entering the hallway, looking just as shaken and weak as I feel. At the end of the hall is the supply closet--but now it has a name, just like the rest of them. _

KINOSUKE FUKUOKA

_ Before my slippery mind can grapple with this, I turn to face the people who have come to gather. _

_ A door opens. _

_ A door that shouldn’t open, opens. _

//KATA AMA stands among the crowd, looking slightly disheveled but very alive. His eyes are wide as he looks around, his hands limp at his sides. 

_ All thoughts of Kinosuke are pushed from my head as I rush through everyone to face Kata. He takes a stumbling step back, but I grab his shoulders and hold him up. _

**SHUJI** : You’re alive!

**KATA** : Ah, well, yes, I--

**SHUJI** : Does that mean...if you’re alive, Lani didn’t kill you. Is he here too?

**KATA** : I need to explain--

_ Thoughtlessly, I shake him. _

**SHUJI** : Is everyone alive? Are they okay?

**KATA** : No! Nobody else is alive!

**SHUJI** : How can you be sure?!

**KATA** : I saw their bodies! They’re dead! They’re in the morgue, which is where I’ve been this whole time. They’re dead, Saji-san. They’re dead.

**ISEI** : So you faked your death?

_ I hadn’t noticed Isei approach, but I feel a little better knowing he’s here. _

**KATA** : Yes. I had to. I needed the system to think I was dead--

**SHUJI** : So Lani...died for no reason? He was executed for killing you. But you’re...still here.

**KATA** : I know, I--

_ My body moves on it’s own. I let go of his shoulders, reach back, and swing all in one fluid motion. _

_ My fist connects with his face with a crack, and he stumbles backward and falls on the ground. I kneel on top of him, and hit him again. _

**NORIKO** : Shuji!

**FUMI** : Stop it!

_ I rear back to hit him a third time, but Isei catches my arm. His cold grey eyes are firm as they look into mine, which are bleary with tears and anger. _

**ISEI** : I’m not going to let you kill him. I’m not losing another friend to him.

_ Isei and Noriko pull me off of Kata, who simply lies on the floor with a bloodied face from a thoroughly broken nose. _

_ Roxxy steps over to Kata, and looks down at him disdainfully. _

**ROXXY** : You deserve every bit of punishment you get.

_ I’ve never heard her voice so cold. _

**???** : So...I guess I missed a lot.

//KINOSUKE FUKOKA stands outside the door bearing his name, arms crossed, one hand on his chin speculatively. He does not seem bothered by everything going on.

**SHUJI** : How are you here?

**KINOSUKE** : See, that’s the funny thing. I don’t remember.

**ISEI** : Who are you?

**KINOSUKE** : Mm, right. Your memories are all gonzo. Okay, let’s see...I’m Kinosuke Fukuoka, and I went to school with all of you. We graduated a few months ago. I was selected for the school as the Super High School Level Penetration Tester.

**AIKA** : Oh my god.

**KINOSUKE** : Hey, Aika. Go ahead. Make the joke.

**AIKA** : Well, I’ve got something you can te--

**NORIKO** : We get the point, thank you. 

**KYO** : We have so many questions.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, I bet! But, uh, first thing’s first? I bet you ten bucks Shuji’s hand is broken.

_ Everyone looks at me, and my hand hanging limply from my wrist. _

**ISEI** : Is it?

**SHUJI** : I think I got so angry and confused that I stopped being able to feel pain, but...yeah it might be. It hurts a lot now.

**HEIJI** : Let’s get you to the infirmary. I’ve broken a lot of feet, I can try to bandage you up.

**KINOSUKE** : That guy also has a broken nose, I don’t know if anyone noticed.

**FUMI** : He can lie there and rot.

**KINOSUKE** : Wow, okay! Harsh, but I’m guessing that’s called for?

**ROXXY** : We can explain all of...this. Later. I think. Let’s get Shuji fixed up and ask you questions.

**ISEI** : Should we take him with us?

_ He gestures vaguely at Kata, who has propped himself up on his elbows but otherwise not gotten off of the floor.  _

**YUI** : This weasel should come with us. If we leave him alone he might slime his way out of the situation somehow.

**PV** : What a creep. 

**NORIKO** : I’ll drag him along whether he wants to or not.

**KYO** : Ugh, I don’t even want to see his face.

_ We all head upstairs, Noriko dragging an unresisting Kata behind us, so that Heiji can fix my hand and we can all get answers. _

_ While my hand is being wrapped, Isei goes through the cabinet to find some kind of pain medicine for me and Kinosuke sits on a counter across from all of us. _

_ There’s a speculative sort of quiet as people bustle around me. It could simply be a product of this absurd weakness wracking my body, but everything seems to blur except for him. He props his head up with his hand, elbow resting on his knee as he sits cross legged on the counter, watching us. He looks like such an outsider. He observes, but primarily does not interact. His bright eyes flash as he watches people move, seeming to register each place people go as if to make sure he remembers it. _

_ Finally, everyone settles down. Kata is sitting on the floor, his back against the wall by the door, with Noriko standing cross-armed next to him. Everyone else lingers and drifts around me, watching intently as Heiji continues his methodical work. _

**SHUJI** : How are you here, Kinosuke?

**KYO** : Hold on just a moment. How do you know him, Shuji?

**SHUJI** : I--

_ My memory is cloudy. Parts are missing, just blanks, but...he’s there, through all of them. _

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, nudging me gently out of his chair. “We’ll be okay.”

“How do you know?” I’d asked, feeling harried.

He scoffed, as he always did.  _ As he always did? How long did I know him? _ He was already typing, having sat down at the computer five seconds ago. 

“You’re overestimating the terrorists. I am, personally, the best security system in Japan. They can’t touch you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” I’d said, tugging at his hair in a vain attempt to get him to take me seriously.

He laughed.

_ I shake my head. _

**SHUJI** : We’re...I remember him. Don’t any of you?

**KYO** : If he went to school with us, I mean...I didn’t remember any of you.

**YUI** : He must have been part of our narrative that’s been erased.

**ISEI** : If he went to school with us, why wasn’t he here all along?

**FUMI** : Oh, I’m so confused!

**PV** : Let’s just let him talk, he might have some answers.

**KINOSUKE** : I remember going to school with you guys. Are your memories seriously that thoroughly wiped? I was wondering if anything could jog them. 

**ROXXY** : Wait, like, how do you know our memories got wiped? You seem pretty fast on the uptake, since you just got here and all.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, you were...Agh...I think they got me too. Memory-wise. I know that everything that happened here was televised, it was a national fucking sensation, but…

_ He shakes his head. _

**KINOSUKE** : I remember the premise, but not much else. I don’t know what’s happened to you here, other than a lot of death.

**NORIKO** : This is...on television?

**AIKA** : Then people know we’re here.

**KATA** : It’s been being broadcast this whole time.

**NORIKO** : Quiet. We’ll get to you.

_ He flinches back from her scowl, and we all turn back to Kinosuke. _

**PV** : So. You knew we were here based on the broadcast, and decided to come rescue us?

**KINOSUKE** : I mean, don’t make it sound like I’m a good samaritan or anything. You guys are my friends. I came to--I really can’t believe you don’t remember that at all. 

**YUI** : Are your memories intact?

_ Kinosuke frowns and looks down for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. Ultimately, he shrugs and shakes his head. _

**KINOSUKE** : Nope. I can tell you what I remember, if you want?

**KYO** : I’d like to hear it, anyway.

**HEIJI** : Hey, quick Q if you don’t mind.

**KINOSUKE** : Shoot, buddy.

**HEIJI** : Isei had a good question earlier that I want addressed, if it’s cool. If you’re a graduate, and everyone here is a graduate, why weren’t you kidnapped with the rest of us?

**KINOSUKE** : I can only guess, but...you’re not all graduates.

**SHUJI** : The extra student…

**ROXXY** : The extra who now?

**ISEI** : There are usually only 16 students in any Hope’s Peak class. There were 17 of us to begin with, so one of us must have been an outsider. It was just a theory.

**FUMI** : But now, with uh...the new kid--

**KINOSUKE** : Fukuoka.

**FUMI** : Right, with Fukuoka-san, that would make us 18.

**KINOSUKE** : Oh, well that’s easy. Shuji didn’t go to Hope’s Peak.

**KYO** : Shuji didn’t WHAT?

**YUI** : This doesn’t make sense. We all have vague memories of our time in high school, and we all agreed that we recognized Shuji. 

**SHUJI** : But I remember the classroom!

**FUMI** : It couldn’t be Shuji! 

**NORIKO** : Wasn’t the extra student supposed to be the Host of all this, Isei? 

**ISEI** : Shuji couldn’t be the Host. 

**ROXXY** : How do we all remember him if he’s extra? And anyway, that’s only one extra student where now we’re supposed to have two!

**KINOSUKE** : Shuji was never enrolled in Hope’s Peak Academy, I swear on my life. On my mother’s life. On anybody’s life. You remember him cuz I smuggled him in.

**SHUJI** : I think...We need...a full explanation…

_ I feel dizzy, but we need to press on. If this gets interrupted I’ll just scream. _

**KINOSUKE** : Right. Okay, I guess I’ll start with school. I don’t remember when Shuji and I met, exactly, because big parts of my childhood are missing, but it was around middle school. Do you remember, Shuji?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I was...it was right before I got kicked out, I think. You noticed I’d stopped coming to school.

**KINOSUKE** : Shuji never enrolled in high school. He was homeless, and struggling to get by. I was doing fine. I was making a lot of money, actually. After a year or so, when I was in high school, I got a flat in the city.

**NORIKO** : That is a lot of money indeed.

**KINOSUKE** : I’m good at what I do. Nobody was surprised when I got into HPA. I gave Shuji a place to stay, and he generally worked, but once I got into the big fancy school...well, I thought he’d like it. You love learning, you know?

**SHUJI** : I...almost remember.

**KINOSUKE** : So I got you a spare uniform, and you just followed me around. Once you’re in the building, nobody really questions if you go there or not. You sat in a spare desk, did the worksheets, never got anything graded, and hung out with us. 

**ISEI** : That’s why you can’t remember your talent.

**SHUJI** : I never had one.

**ROXXY** : That’s why you know how to cook!

**YUI** : And light fires.

**KYO** : Not to mention help decorate...

**HEIJI** : Damn, I’m almost jealous.

**AIKA** : Your lack of specialization gives you quite a few tools at your disposal, it seems.

**FUMI** : But we’re still missing one mystery student!

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, that might be a problem. Everyone else I see right here was definitely enrolled, but I don’t remember who all was kidnapped. I’m gonna need a serious recap before I can hazard a guess.

**ROXXY** : So Shuji isn’t necessarily the Host!

**SHUJI** : God, I hope I’m not. 

**ISEI** : If Kata is still alive...I suppose any of the people we believed to be dead could have faked it. That person could potentially be behind all of this.

**AIKA** : Smart. It’s a way to survive this death game, and nobody would suspect you.

**YUI** : That does, incidentally, make Kata fairly suspicious.

**KATA** : Please, if you’d just let me--

**SHUJI** : I don’t want to hear his fucking voice.

**KYO** : Agreed. We’ll get to him...just...sometime later.

**PV** : You still haven’t explained why you haven’t been among us this whole time.

**KINOSUKE** : Oh, that one’s super easy. I’m really hard to kidnap.

**NORIKO** : Has it been attempted in the past?

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, sorta! I was one of the most dangerous and influential hackers in the world until I went mainstream.

**YUI** : I don’t understand.

**KINOSUKE** : Right. I’m a Penetration Tester--

**AIKA** : [Opens her mouth to speak]

**KINOSUKE** : [Finger guns] Yep, I know, hilarious. It means I get paid to crack into security systems to see how well they hold up. As a result, I know my way around security. I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess that this Host you guys are talking about tried, and subsequently failed, to gather me up with the rest of you. 

**SHUJI** : I remember you walking down the stairs. Where did you come from?

**KINOSUKE** : Now that is a fantastic question and one I would love to answer in more detail. I know that I tracked the broadcast signal to...ah...yeah, somewhere, I guess. Here? Probably? And I camped out for weeks trying to find a way in. I remember getting some victory, and…

**ISEI** : And then we all passed out.

**KINOSUKE** : Yup! Now, if you don’t mind, I actually am really curious as to what Ama-san has to say for himself.

**KATA** : May I speak?

_ We collectively grumble, but see no way around it. Plus, he probably does have good information. _

**NORIKO** : Start with faking your own death.

**KATA** : Okay.

_ He lurches into a standing position, his face and shirt still very bloody, and shuffles over to the cabinet with rags for this particular purpose. As he mops his face, he begins to speak. _

**KATA** : I am an Otome Game Developer, as you know. What you probably don’t know is that I’m extremely good with programming. 

**PV** : Duh.

**KATA** : Yeah, sorry. I’m...Okay. I figured out that I could hack The Fey’s code. Her AI program is my code.

**ROXXY** : Uh, suspicious much! He’s the Host!

**KATA** : No, I mean it was stolen from me. It was altered, obviously, but clumsily. Whoever did this isn’t a programmer, that’s for certain. But once I realized I could get into her files, I realized that I could...do something. I could help. But not with the cameras on me all the time. If the Host caught me hacking the Fey, I’d be dead and no help to anyone.

**SHUJI** : So you faked your death and killed Lani.

**KATA** : Ah...yeah. I wrote a fake Fey File, and had The Fey register me as deceased. I...don’t know if it helps, but I didn’t know for sure that it would be Lani.

**SHUJI** : Oh, yeah, great, you thought I’d be the one baited into your trap.

**KATA** : ...Yeah. I did. I thought it was a necessary sacrifice.

**SHUJI** : You can’t sacrifice someone else’s life!

**NORIKO** : Let him speak, please.

**KATA** : The Fey took me to--

**ROXXY** : Wait! Wait!

**FUMI** : What is it?

**ROXXY** : We touched you! We felt your pulse and stuff! You were dead!

**KATA** : I...here, I’ll show you.

_ He steps over to the cabinet of medicines and poisons and selects one. _

**KATA** : This puts you into a temporary coma. It slows down your heart rate so that no amateur would be able to detect a pulse. I was unconscious.

**AIKA** : ...Clever.

**KATA** : As I was saying, The Fey took me to the morgue. It’s downstairs, all the way, by the wine cellar. I was able to work on her in there in peace, trying to crack the security system to make her...turn off, I guess. And let all of us go. I was able to fiddle with a lot of things. Her personality, some doors that were meant to be unlocked...

**KINOSUKE** : That actually makes a lot of sense. I was toiling from the outside, but I remember something just...clicking into place. Your work let me in.

**KATA** : Great. And you revealing yourself made sure that the people behind this know that something was wrong, and scrubbed the whole fucking thing. They found me because of you.

**ISEI** : Can I get something straight? You were trying to do this to...save us? Honestly?

**HEIJI** : No offense, bro, but you don’t even like us.

**KATA** : I don’t...I don’t mind you. I like some of you quite a lot, actually.

**AIKA** : [Frowning.] …

**ROXXY** : Ummmm bullshit? You were so mean to Shuji!

**FUMI** : It’s true, you were cruel to him.

**KATA** : I had to be! 

**SHUJI** : To get Lani to hate him. You...manipulated him. Us. Into hating you so that he’d try to protect me.

**KATA** : I’m not proud of it. I wanted to protect everyone.

**KINOSUKE** : [Laughing] Classic! Oh, you were just like this in high school. I thought you’d grown out of your whole ‘I’m better than everyone because I have two brain cells to rub together’ phase, but wow.

_ I feel sick to my stomach. I can’t handle this. _

**KATA** : If you hadn’t swanned in, Lani’s death wouldn’t have been in vain. I don’t remember you, or high school, or anything, but I can’t imagine your theatrical streak has helped anyone.

_ I feel so weak. _

**SHUJI** : How...long were we asleep?

**KINOSUKE** : Assuming they took the time to wipe my memory, and scrub the system well enough to find Kata…

**KATA** : A week, minimum.

**HEIJI** : Hey, anyone else feel like they haven’t eaten in like a year?

**FUMI** : That would explain it.

**ROXXY** : Okay, I’m making breakfast. Shuji isn’t allowed to do anything because he’s been through enough today and today is only, like, five minutes old so...let’s let him relax for once, okay? 

**FUMI** : I’ll help.

_ People start to move toward the door, but Aika lingers behind. _

**AIKA** : [Sighs.] Someone should clean up Kata’s face.

_ She steps toward him, picking up swabs from the counter behind him, and wipes most of the blood clean that he’d missed. _

**AIKA** : Your nose is seriously broken.

**KATA** : Ugh. I guess I deserve it.

**AIKA** : You would be correct. I can’t fix this.

_ As she finishes up, she swiftly and firmly raises her hand and smacks him across the face. _

_ The sound of the slap rings through the stuffy air of the infirmary, and Fumi actually yelps in surprise. Kata nearly stumbles again, but this time just rocks back into the counter he was in front of anyway. _

_ And Aika just walks away, following the rest of us into the hallway.  _

_ I numbly follow, not sparing Kata another glance. _

**KYO** : Why’d you hit him like that?

**AIKA** : I’m not particularly knowledgeable about physical confrontation. I would’ve broken my hand like Shuji if I’d tried to punch him.

**NORIKO** : I think they meant “why did you hit him?”

**ROXXY** : Yeah, I like, totally thought you guys were friends.

_ Aika doesn’t respond for a while, letting the sound of footsteps fill the silence as we walked down the stairs toward the kitchen and dining room. _

**AIKA** : He abandoned me.

_ Like a door shutting, her face abruptly becomes steely. Nobody is going to get any explanation from her after that. _

_ For once, I let myself be cared for as we enter the dining room. Roxxy insists that I stay put, and everyone doubles down on that. I guess a broken hand will do that, right? _

_ Or, maybe they’re not pitying my broken bones. Maybe it’s the revelation that I’m not really their peer. I may have gone to school with them, technically, but I was never one of them. The fact that I’m here is an accident. I am no great celebrity like the rest of them. _

_ A thought occurs to me as I rest my head on the dining room table, tuning out the voices from the kitchen.  _

_ They don’t care. They are still caring for me, making sure that I’m okay, insisting that I couldn’t be the Host, despite the fact that I’m not one of them. _

_ Nobody had a snippy comment about me not being a student. Aika and Kata simply sat there and understood. _

_ Maybe… _

_ Maybe I’m one of them. _

_ I’m not SHSL, I’m not a Hope’s Peak Graduate, I’m not meant to be here. _

_ But we’re friends. _

_ We matter to each other. _

_ I wipe away tears with the back of my good hand. _

**KINOSUKE** : Hey.

_ I look up, eyes still bleary. _

**SHUJI** : Hey.

**KINOSUKE** : You look like shit, man.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I bet I do.

**KINOSUKE** : Did you know none of them can cook?

**SHUJI** : Neither can you, though.

**KINOSUKE** : [Laughs.] Fair. I wanted to ask...I don’t know how much you remember. Do you remember me at all?

_ I close my eyes, concentrating. _

**SHUJI** : I do. I remember...our apartment. The plants that you’d always buy and bring to the house who would die unless I took care of them. The laptops. You had like five laptops.

**KINOSUKE** : I needed them for different stuff!

**SHUJI** : The dead house plants?

**KINOSUKE** : [Laughs] Okay, maybe not. I meant the laptops. I’m...glad you remember, though.

**SHUJI** : What do you remember?

**KINOSUKE** : Of us? Actually not a lot. I’m left with feelings of things, mostly. I know you, I know I care about you, I know I’d do anything for you. But there’s a lot of stuff from before I was 15 that’s just gone, and that means us meeting, and...my parents...and…

**SHUJI** : But you remember school and stuff, right?

**KINOSUKE** : Some of it, yeah. I remember all of you more than you seem to remember me, at least.

_ I stew on that for a bit. _

**SHUJI** : But...Do you remember anything after graduation?

**KINOSUKE** : Bits and pieces, yeah. I think they were the most eager to wipe anything about the killing game, but there are...strands of memory is the only way I can describe it. 

**SHUJI** : It sounds like they really bungled your memory wipe. Mine was a lot cleaner.

**KINOSUKE** : They did it really fast. All of you were missing for months before the TV show started, so they took their time with the rest of you.

**SHUJI** : Seriously? Months? How long have we been gone?

**KINOSUKE** : [Shrugs.] Can’t say. That’s one of the memories they managed to nab.

**SHUJI** : What  _ do _ you remember?

_ As I ask this, people start coming in with several plates of breakfast adjacent food and lots of cups of water. Everyone is feeling the prolonged nap, I guess. We all sit together, for the first time in a very long while, and grab some food to shovel it into our faces as we talk. _

_ Well, technically, Kata isn’t here. _

_ But good riddance, right? _

**KINOSUKE** : I’m glad all of you are here, I didn’t wanna say this too many times.

**YUI** : Are you going to tell us what’s going on in the outside world?

**ROXXY** : Ooh! Recap episode!

**KYO** : I thought they messed with your memories, though.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, I don’t remember a ton, but that also means I don’t know what about my memories are valuable information. So I’m just gonna tell you all everything I know, right?

**NORIKO** : Makes sense to me.

**PV** : It’s definitely hard to say if anything will help us...but I agree. Please continue.

**KINOSUKE** : Okay, let me think. 

_ He takes a deep breath, and follows that deep breath with the largest and most precarious bite of rice I’ve ever seen. He chews, swallows, takes another deep breath, and finally begins. _

**KINOSUKE** : I remember when people were first starting to go missing. I don’t remember who was first. I know that a group went missing initially, and after that over the next few months it would be one or two at a time reported missing. There was a panic about it.

**SHUJI** : I remember some of this too.

**ISEI** : Shuji’s memory seems to be the spottiest of the rest of us, with strange things coming up every now and then.

**AIKA** : His memory may be repairing itself. I can’t imagine memory removal is an exact science, especially if there are any kind of sensory reminders around…

**KINOSUKE** : Once almost the entire class was missing, there was a national panic. I know that some politician was trying to urge caution in the face of the hysteria--

**ROXXY** : Do you know which politician?

**KINOSUKE** : Takao Takahashi, I think? He was saying that people needed to have faith that we’d get everyone back, something like that.

**ROXXY** : [Frowning.] Okay. Sorry, go on.

**KINOSUKE** : I know I tracked the broadcast, somehow, but I don’t remember anything about it. I don’t even remember seeing you on TV, I just know that it was. I know I was living in a tent with a generator for a while, but…

_ He shrugs helplessly. _

**KINOSUKE** : I think that’s all I’ve got.

**YUI** : None of that seems particularly helpful.

**PV** : I’m sure we can get something out of it. They likely eliminated any pieces that are clearly connected to what’s going on, but things are rarely that simple or clear. There’s no telling how important the mere fact that this is televised is.

**KATA** : I agree.

_ We turn to face him, not having noticed him enter the room. He looks bashful, eyes fixed on the ground. _

_ For a moment, putting aside the rage boiling in my stomach at the idea of him being alive when so many we’ve lost are truly dead, I just watch him move. He didn’t move like this before. He’s a human caricature of shame. _

_ But is it genuine? _

_ He manipulated all of us, especially me and Lani, into hating him before. What’s to say he isn’t doing the opposite now? _

**KYO** : Do you have anything useful to add to the conversation?

**KATA** : Maybe. I wanted to...help. I think I still can.

**NORIKO** : How can you want to help us after you betrayed us? Your actions lead to Lani’s death.

**KATA** : I wasn’t doing it it betray you. But I’m...sorry. I really am. I thought one life in exchange for 14 would be worth it, but clearly I was wrong.

**KINOSUKE** : [Sipping from a mug] I mean it would be one thing if you’d actually managed to save 14 lives, but as it stands...You just got someone innocent killed for no reason, from the sound of it.

**KATA** : You weren’t even there!

**KINOSUKE** : Nah, I wasn’t. But Shuji is the nicest guy on the planet, and if he was trying to break your face? I mean I just figure you deserved it. Plus, context clues. I’m not an idiot.

**KATA** : If you’re not an idiot, then why did you just barge in as soon as you gained access? You fucked over everything I was trying to do.

**KINOSUKE** : I’m not sure, but it kinda sounds like you’re blaming me for the fact that your stupid plan didn’t work?

**KATA** : Oh, and yours did? Your plan to get kidnapped and put in a killing game?

**KINOSUKE** : [Shrugs.] Can’t say, since my memories were wiped.

**KATA** : Either way, you swanned on in instead of exercising any caution, got me found out, and tightened all of the security to the point that now escape seems impossible.

**SHUJI** : Enough!

_ I stand up, still a little weak but not as bad now that I’ve had food.  _

**KYO** : Yeah, I’m with Shuji. Shut the fuck up, both of you.

**SHUJI** : Fighting over who’s the smartest hacker isn’t going to help anyone! I’m tired of conflict, okay? I know both of you have been sitting out of all of it, but I’m done. You’re going to play nice or I’m just gonna end up screaming.

**FUMI** : We should try to cooperate, even if some of us are irresponsible, horrible, awful...I’m running out of synonyms…

**ROXXY** : Everybody should just calm down and enjoy breakfast, okay?

_ I sit back down with a thump and aggressively take a bite of toast, glaring at anyone who would dare interrupt this. Everyone follows suit, settling in and taking some food. We allow Kata to sit among us, and grab food that he’s clearly been missing too. _

**YUI** : So...are people looking for us? Out there?

**KINOSUKE** : Well, at least one was. I’m pretty sure they deployed the military to look, too, but those jugheads are useless.

**YUI** : I am concerned about something. If Fukuoka-san was the most competent--

**KINOSUKE** : I am, trust me.

**YUI** : And his rescue attempt was so easily foiled, what chance do we have of being found and rescued?

**NORIKO** : I don’t mean to breed further dissent, but from my perspective both of you are fairly suspicious. Fukuoka-san could very well be lying about anything he claims, other than that which Shuji can corroborate, and Ama-san...well, we all know he’s a lying jerk. Either of them could be the Host.

**AIKA** : They could be working together, as well.

**PV** : Come on, that’s uncalled for.

**NORIKO** : A reasonable doubt is uncalled for?

**PV** : A reasonable doubt is fine but that’s a conspiracy theory. Kata may have made some questionable decisions, but he’s one of us. Shuji remembers being Kinosuke-san’s best friend, and I trust Shuji’s judgement enough to believe that he wouldn’t be best friends with the Host.

**NORIKO** : I’d like to believe both of them as well, however--

**PV** : Your problem is you can’t trust anyone. If we come together and be kind to each other, we’re way more likely to survive this.

**NORIKO** : If nobody comes for us--

**PV** : Someone  _ will _ . I don’t know about you, but I matter to people outside here. They’re looking for me. For all of us! Kinosuke-san is proof of it!

**NORIKO** : I think that blind faith in the face of the brutal reality of our situation isn’t wise. Common sense reforms to our behaviors, including not trusting people who we don’t know or people who we already know we can’t trust, are going to save lives.

**PV** : Oh, you’re one to talk about blind faith--

**THE FEY** : Helloooo? Are you all feeling better? I hope not! You ruined my beautiful motivation ceremony! It’s time for take two, bitches! Report to the foyer immediately or I’ll drag you. I’m not gentle.

_ Click. _

_ I stand up, ignoring PV and Noriko’s argument. Somehow, whatever the hell The Fey is about to do to us sounds better than sitting through this stupid fight. _

_ In the foyer is the same set-up from yesterday--or whenever it was; I don’t know how long I was asleep--with the large covered objects and The Fey hovering near the stairs. She looks...better, somehow. Her movements are less twitchy. Her digital face is less fuzzy. _

_ Once everyone arrives, she doesn’t waste any time. _

**THE FEY** : I’m FIXED NOW!!!!!

_ She does a little flip to demonstrate. _

**THE FEY** : AND YOU’RE ALL FUCKED!

**HEIJI** : So what I’m getting from this is that The Fey can’t have kittens anymore. That’s a good thing, right?

**THE FEY** : That’s not what it means!

**ROXXY** : So you can have kittens?

**THE FEY** : No!!

**FUMI** : Then I don’t see how Heiji is wrong in this situation.

**KINOSUKE** : Should we not be more concerned about the ‘you’re all fucked’ part of this speech?

**KYO** : [Scoffs.] It’s hardly a speech. To be honest, it’s barely a demonstration.

**YUI** : It lets itself get side-tracked so easily…

**KATA** : I swear, whoever meddled with my code is a worse writer than I am. My AI is usually better than this.

**AIKA** : Snrk…

**THE FEY** : Hey! You all think you’re so clever, huh? You all think you’re teaming up against the big bad guy, that you’re united little shonen heroes, huh?!

**PV** : Not to be a cheeseball, but I’d rather depend on the power of friendship than listen to you say anything. Ever.

**THE FEY** : Oh, you like friendship? You like friendship so much you’d die for it, I bet, right? Is that how much you believe in your friends?

**ISEI** : I get the feeling she’s leading into something, now.

**THE FEY** : Wouldn’t you like to know how poorly you actually know these people? Wouldn’t you like to really, really know them? And have them know you? Have them know you really, really well?

**NORIKO** : I don’t like this.

**THE FEY** : Of course you don’t! You all have secrets. You keep up this charade of teamwork and love, but you’re all lying to each other. Where I come from, that kind of dishonesty gets punished!

_ With a flourish, she unveils her hidden objects. Two roulette wheels, on either side of the stairway, brightly colored with flashing lights around the circumference. The Fey looks giddy as she begins to explain. _

**THE FEY** : Wheel One has all of you! I roll this, and your icky little nasties pop out on a piece of paper here. We’re gonna roll this one once a day, first thing in the morning!

_ She indicates a slot at the base of the wheel. _

**THE FEY** : Annnd, because all of you are so naughty and won’t be honest with each other, once I’ve rolled your name, we get to Wheel Two! This is the one I’m really proud of. We just do a nice little roll and land on a punishment!

**SHUJI** : Hey whoa, I don’t understand.

**THE FEY** : I’ll do an example! If I were to roll my name, The Fey, I would have to announce to everyone that I let a smelly little human cockroach meddle with my fucking brain, and had to douse all of you in sleepytime juice to fumigate the house! Then I’d roll my fancy wheel and…

_ She rolls the wheel with glee, watching it carefully as it ticks toward a colored slot. _

**THE FEY** : If this were a real roll, you all would be denied running water--including toilets and showers--until a murder took place! Oopsie! That’s one of my favorites, actually. But there’s only one way to avoid Wheel Two.

**AIKA** : Go on, we’re done with the theatrics.

**THE FEY** : Confess your nastiest secrets! Bare your heart and soul for the group, and the punishment will be voided! How does that sound?

**NORIKO** : I volunteer.

**THE FEY** : Oh, worm? But you’ve got one of the--

**NORIKO** : I said I volunteer.

_ The Fey shrugs and goes over to the first wheel, manually turning it to Noriko’s name. _

**THE FEY** : You wanna read it? You can’t confess to any secret that isn’t on here, mind you.

**NORIKO** : I will. I don’t plan on skating by without judgement.

_ Noriko takes a deep breath. _

**NORIKO** : I killed my foster father in cold blood and lied to the police about it.

_ … _

_ I blink. _

_ It feels like I’ve just been doused in cold water.  _

_ I watch Noriko as she stands in front of all of us, face stern, posture rigid. She doesn’t move her eyes from the middle distance. There’s something familiar about the way she’s standing--she way she holds her feet and shoulders. _

_ She’s in a defensive posture masked as a neutral one. It’s one of the poses she taught me.  _

_ I wonder if she knows she’s doing it. _

_ Nobody else is reacting. I look at the group of us, and all of them seem to be faced with the same blood chilling physical sensation that I am. Do they see how she’s standing? Do they see pride in her steely face, or shame? _

_ I realize that my mind is wandering, trying to let the reality of what she said fade into the background while I focus on other things, but I decide that I can’t let it. _

**SHUJI** : I--uh--I mean. Did he deserve it?

**PV** : Is that for her to decide?

**NORIKO** : No. It isn’t.

**ROXXY** : Hey, now, I’m sure it isn’t what it sounded like! It was probably an accident!

**AIKA** : Then why lie to the police about it?

**FUMI** : She was probably protecting someone! Just like she’s protecting us from punishment right now!

**KATA** : To be fair, it’s not like she’s saying anything in her defense.

**NORIKO** : I don’t believe it’s defensible. I took a life.

**YUI** : It can’t be as bad as it sounds…

**KYO** : No offense, but it says ‘murder’ and ‘cold blood’ pretty plainly here. That sounds really bad.

**ISEI** : People make mistakes. Just because this happened doesn’t change the Noriko we know.

**PV** : This is ridiculous! You want to boss us around while you’re a murderer?

**FUMI** : Stop it! She just wants to protect us! 

**ROXXY** : And she’s still doing that, by the way, instead of like just yelling at everyone about secrets!

**PV** : Fine. I volunteer my secret as well. Noriko isn’t the only one who can protect this group.

_ They step up to the wheel, glaring at all of us, and manually turn the wheel to their name. _

**THE FEY** : Knock yourself out, I guess.

**PV** : ‘「Pure Virtual」genuinely believes’...I...oh.

**NORIKO** : Faced with something you don’t like? I’m not the only one here with secrets. I’m just someone who is willing to deal with them for the good of others.

**PV** : “「Pure Virtual」genuinely believes that they are better than every other person; all attempts at caring for others is a lie to make themselves look better,” is what it says.

**KYO** : Pretending to care is way better than not caring at all!

**AIKA** : In truth, pretending to care betrays that they do, genuinely, care. 

**HEIJI** : Like, it’s not about wanting to look better. If they’re trying they’re trying, right?

**FUMI** : How can you say that! A sense of superiority doesn’t make you good!

**KYO** : Well, duh! But it’s not like they’ve killed anyone!

**YUI** : I’d rather be friends with a genuine murderer than someone who only cares about themself and pretends to be compassionate.

**AIKA** : ‘Pretend’ doesn’t matter. Doing compassionate actions matters. That’s all that counts.

**ROXXY** : Like, no offense, but are we really gonna get lectured on compassion from Ms. I Think It’s Funny To Be Rude and Weird?

**KYO** : The fact stands that Pure Virtual is standing up to protect us just as much as Noriko, plus, they like, have faith in us as people!

**THE FEY** : All of this is just music to my ears! I love fighting, I really do, but I just want to be clear that what our resident triangle-head didn’t protect you from jack shit. I accept one volunteer a day. What you just did was for your own edification, bucko!

_ The Fey drifts over to the Punishment Wheel and spins it emphatically. _

**NORIKO** : Wait! I volunteered--

**THE FEY:** Can it, tinhead. I still have to find out what  _ would _ have happened!

_ A piece of paper is spit out, and The Fey reads it with glee. _

**THE FEY:** Aw, this one’s good. If Little Miss Murderer hadn’t stepped up, a random student would have had to lose a random limb! What a waste. Anyway, I’m off to go find out if I can have kittens or not.

_ The Fey vanishes, and we’re left in her wake with a stratified group. _

_ Anger and tension are palpable, with the room having split into two sides fairly evenly. The only people who aren’t taking a side seem to be Kinosuke, and myself. I feel like someone needs to mediate this shit. _

**SHUJI** : Okay, so, I don’t think--

**FUMI** : Who are you gonna back, Shuji?

**ISEI** : It’s gotta be Noriko on this one.

**KYO** : As if!

**SHUJI** : I--what? I have to choose?

**KINOSUKE** : It seems like both of them have ideas on how to lead the group forward, so if there’s going to be any consensus, we all need to agree on one path forward.

**SHUJI** : I was going to say that I don’t think this splitting into groups is gonna be helpful. Why don’t we just talk about it like adults?

**PV** : We’ve been talking about it! We’ve been talking about it for weeks.

**NORIKO** : It’s true, these revelations aren’t going to change anybody’s stance. It’s time to pick a path forward. 

_ A very quiet but very firm voice in my head reacts about as eloquently as I’m able: ruh roh. _

_ This is going nowhere fast. _

_ I think, for a moment, about joining either team. If I join one, and make the team larger, then maybe we could just put things to a vote and have it be over with. I look at either group, who are all varying levels of angry at each other or imploring at me to end this stupid conflict. _

**KINOSUKE:** [Stroking chin] Well, I think the ideals behind--

**SHUJI:** This is fucking absurd. We shouldn’t be picking out team jerseys here. If there are any teams at all, it’s us versus whoever put us here, and that’s it. End of story.

**KINOSUKE:** Ooh! Or that. I’m with you, Shuji.

**ISEI:** The thing is, we’re not unified right now. So picking one way to go forward--

**SHUJI:** Not you too, Isei.

**PV:** As it stands, we’re divided on this regardless of if we separate into teams that you deem petty and pointless. We don’t want Noriko to be blatantly controlling us, imposing rules we don’t agree with. So we won’t follow her agenda.

**NORIKO:** You’re asking to get yourselves killed.

**PV:** Is that a threat, murderer?

**SHUJI:** Ugh! I hate this. I’m not taking part.

_ I push through the crowd and pass in between the two wheels in order to go upstairs. Where am I going? I don’t know. I hear Kinosuke follow me up, though, so I end up heading toward the newly unlocked office on the second floor. _

_ He jogs a bit to catch up with me when I grab for the door handle. _

**KINOSUKE:** Are you alright, dude?

**SHUJI:** [Sighs.] Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just frustrated.

**KINOSUKE:** I’ve never seen you like that.

**SHUJI:** Really? It’s not that weird. Sometimes everyone seems to get together with a dumb idea in their head and it’s up to me to like...I don’t know, I feel like a mom sometimes. 

**KINOSUKE:** That’s Fumi’s job.

**SHUJI:** Well she wasn’t doing it this time! The team thing is stupid, right? You agree with me there?

**KINOSUKE:** It does seem a little childish. I’m really wowed by you taking charge there. And everyone wanted you to be on their side, too!

**SHUJI:** Is it that strange for people wanting me to weigh in?

_ Kinosuke tilts his head upward, thinking. It’s strange how many of his mannerisms are so completely familiar to me, like that one. Despite not remembering most of our time together, things like his gestures seem so ingrained in my memory. _

**KINOSUKE:** I guess it had something to do with your not being a student, right? You didn’t want to draw attention to yourself, I guess. But I always thought of you as this really shy kid. Especially around the others, but…

**SHUJI:** But what?

**KINOSUKE:** [Shrugs.] When you lit up, when you said your piece...it was always like a part of you that felt reserved for me. When it was just us, you’d totally be yourself. But now you’re yourself for everyone, it seems like.

**SHUJI:** I’m...sorry.

**KINOSUKE:** No, don’t apologize. It’s just new for me! Anyway, what’s this room?

**SHUJI:** Some kind of record keeping office, I think. Yui and Noriko were looking through it earlier, but it looked like things were mostly redacted to the point of being useless.

**KINOSUKE:** Sounds like my kind of room!

_ We step inside, and he immediately takes a seat at the desk and prepares for looking over the documents. I take position behind him, but he pauses while reaching for one of the drawers. _

**KINOSUKE:** Actually...since it’s just the two of us...can I ask you something?

_ Every time someone has asked that question since we’ve gotten here, my answer has been something along the lines of ‘You can ask me anything as long as it’s not about murder because I don’t want to hear it.’ With Kinosuke, however, I don’t feel the need to specify even as a joke. _

**SHUJI:** Sure. What’s up?

**KINOSUKE:** I think that Fey--

**SHUJI:** The Fey.

**KINOSUKE:** Right. I think The Fey meddled with my memories of anything that happened in here and there’s a lot of baggage and context that I’m completely missing. Can you tell me what’s happened here? You’re missing a lot of people.

_ I close my eyes for a moment, thinking about how to start this. _

**SHUJI:** You remember high school?

**KINOSUKE:** Most of it, I think. It’s fuzzy but I know all of you.

**SHUJI:** Were you friends with Alena Agyros and Masanori Nishimuraya?

**KINOSUKE:** Well, Masanori hated my guts because he deemed me a ‘pretty boy,’ but if I remember right, you and Roxxy ended up forcing him to get along with you. And Alena, well, she’s a tough nut to crack. In first year, I don’t think I heard her say a single word, but by third year she had really opened up.

_ This is harder for me to hear than I anticipated. I’d expected him to say that he knew them, I guess, and then I could continue on telling him what had happened to them. But knowing that they… _

_ That they grew up. They were given the opportunity to grow and change simply by virtue of getting older.  _

_ Knowing that feels like a punch in the gut.  _

**SHUJI:** So...you know how The Fey just came down and gave us a motive?

**KINOSUKE:** I’m guessing something really bad happened to Masanori and Alena.

**SHUJI:** The first one was money.

_ He’s a good listener, and rarely interrupts with questions. I let the tears fall as I talk about Lani, about Bo. I tell him about the wakes, about the time I’ve spent with everyone, and the motives. I tell him about the trials. The executions.  _

_ I thought it would take longer to recap the longest several weeks of my life, but it doesn’t. It’s only a few minutes for Kinosuke to get up to speed on every trauma, every victory, and every failure that’s happened here. _

_ I dab at my eyes with the sleeves of my sweater.  _

**KINOSUKE:** Wow. I can’t imagine--

**YUI:** You really can’t.

_ I turn with a start, not having heard her enter. She’s standing at the doorway, leaning against it, her eyes suspiciously watery in an otherwise firm face. _

**KINOSUKE:** I didn’t hear you come in.

**YUI:** I thought--I suppose it doesn’t matter, but I thought Shuji might bring you here, based on what I’ve heard about you. 

**KINOSUKE:** Look, I’m really sorry about everything that’s happened here.

**YUI:** I don’t care. I don’t know you, and I don’t trust you. But I’d like you to look at these documents with me, in case there’s something I missed that you might have some insight on.

**SHUJI:** If you’re just trying to get us to join Noriko’s team--

**YUI:** You think I want a mysterious hacker who appeared in the 11th hour to join my group, which is based on order and rules? I don’t care if you join. I don’t think I want you to. But Shuji, you’re right. We do need a semblance of unity to survive this. And since you’re not directly allied with Pure Virtual…

**KINOSUKE:** I’d love to help look over these.

**YUI:** Thank you. 

_ She steps into the room to stand next to Kinosuke and begin methodically bringing out the papers she’s already looked over. _

_ The two begin conferring, their fingers tracing the lines of text. Every now and then, Kinosuke brings a paper up to the light, squinting at it, as if that would reveal the text under the black bars. They settle into a rhythm quickly, and I feel pretty out of place here. _

_ Anyway, I’m still too upset from everything that’s happened in the last--what, 2 hours?--that I won’t be focused enough to be much help. _

_ I let them know that I’m taking off, but neither of them acknowledge me. They’re in deep. _

_ I’m not exactly sure what I’d rather be doing than hanging out with them while they talk about redacted paperwork, but I end up wandering the floors of the mansion anyway. I guess on some intellectual level I know I need to process a lot of stuff. _

_ Kinosuke is here, for example. That’s a big one. _

_ I’m not a student. I feel like I should be reacting to that more. But here I am. _

_ Of course, one of the biggest is-- _

**KATA:** Hey.

_ I find myself outside the sitting room where Alena was killed, facing Kata. _

_ This asshole. _

**SHUJI:** [Scowling.] What do you want?

**KATA:** Nothing. You approached me.

_ Did I? _

_ I must have. _

_ Still, I’m not happy about it. _

_ I look into the sitting room, for the first time in a long time. I’ve absolutely been avoiding it. _

_ It looks… _

_ Cozy. _

_ Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kata looking in as well, with a speculative expression on his face. _

**KATA:** If I...If I speak, would you listen?

_ I shrug. _

_ I know I’m being a petty little kid about this, but I’m still not ready to get comfortable with him. _

**KATA:** If you don’t want to listen, that’s fine. 

_ I don’t look at him. _

**KATA:** I think I’ll say my piece anyway though. 

_ There’s another long pause, as if he’s waiting for some kind of approval from me. _

**KATA:** Alena’s death...Masanori’s death...they hit me really hard. 

**SHUJI:** You didn’t show it.

**KATA:** I didn’t know how. I still don’t. 

**SHUJI** : None of us know how. This isn’t something we were actually taught how to deal with in school, but the rest of us didn’t fake our deaths and get an innocent person executed, Kata.

_ Kata looks down and takes a deep breath. _

**KATA** : I wasn’t hiding out of cowardice. I wanted to save everyone. If I hadn’t faked my death, all of my work would have been in vain, The Fey would have stopped me--

_ I sigh, and it’s enough to interrupt him, but I don’t speak. _

**KATA** : I--okay. Maybe it was a dumb plan, but at the time it’s not like there were a ton of other plans floating around for me to choose from. I thought if I could do this, if I could just camp out and fuck with the security--

**SHUJI** : I don’t really care what you thought you could do.

**KATA** : I’m sorry?

**SHUJI** : Listen, it sounds like you had a real noble idea. I don’t care. What happened is one of my friends drowned in a horrible staged execution and we thought he deserved it because he had killed you. I don’t think I can forgive that.

_ I turn to face him as I speak, and watch his reaction. He keeps his face still, firm, stoic, but I can see tears welling up. When he notices them, his eyebrows twitch in frustration. He takes another deep breath. _

**KATA** : I--

**SHUJI** : Did you see what happened? Could you see what was going on while you were hiding in the morgue? Or were you in a nice little bubble, separate from the rest of us?

**KATA** : I had access to the security cameras.

**SHUJI** : So you saw.

**KATA** : I did. 

_ Tears are threatening to spill onto Kata’s cheeks now, and his face is consumed with small twitches as he tries to keep things under wraps. I know what that feels like, having your emotions bubble out of you, seemingly unstoppable despite your quiet urging to keep everything inside. It feels like your heart is betraying you. _

_ Seeing him like this is strange. It’s totally unlike the way he acted before. He was cold, analytical. Smart, but distant.  _

_ Kata’s red face and teary eyes aren’t something I want to be seeing.  _

_ It feels like a lie. _

_ Like the stupid otome games he makes. _

_ Playing make-believe with some digital people who cry and love and feel like actual humans. I feel stupid for ever having played that game, for trying to understand Kata. It’s just a trick he’s been playing on us from the start. _

**SHUJI** : You don’t have to pretend to care. I know you weren’t close to anyone who--

**KATA** : You think I’m pretending? You think this doesn’t affect me?!

**SHUJI** : Oh, Mister Love Is All Chemical is trying to make a case for having feelings? Forgive me if I don’t buy it.

**KATA** : When did you become such a bitch? You were the nicest person in here, and now--

**SHUJI** : When did I become such a bitch? Seriously? Probably after you killed Lani!

**KATA** : I didn’t kill him!

**SHUJI** : You might as well have!

**KATA** : I didn’t mean for any of this to happen the way it did!

**SHUJI** : I don’t care! It  _ did _ happen!

**KATA** : And I don’t know what to do! I don’t know how to fix this!

**SHUJI** : Bring Lani back!

**KATA** : I can’t!

_ Fat tears are running down my face now, but I’m still angry. The anger feels hot in my blood, but as I feel the warmth on my face the rest of my body cools. I can’t maintain this feeling. I wasn’t built for rage.  _

_ The fire in my veins is replaced with ice so cold it almost burns.  _

**SHUJI** : Then you can’t fix this.

_ I can’t either. I can’t bring Lani back. I can’t bring anyone back. I hang my head and turn away. _

**SHUJI** : Of all the people who could have come back to life...why did it have to be you?

_ I start to walk away, but he reaches forward and grabs my arm to stop me. I shake it off and glare at him. _

**KATA** : Because I can still help.

**SHUJI** : What?

**KATA** : They fucked with my plan, sure, but I can still do something. I know how The Fey is built. I can find a way to get us all out of here with no more deaths.

**SHUJI** : I find that a little hard to believe.

**KATA** : Fine, don’t believe it then! But I’m going to help!

**SHUJI** : If this is just some macho you need to prove yourself bullshit, I’m not buying it.

**KATA** : I’m not...I’m not faking caring about you! I couldn’t fake this! I’ve never cared about something so much in my entire life!

_ The icy hot blood in my veins just feels like acid now. The fervor from the high emotion is fading, and I feel tired. And sad. Can I even remember a time where I wasn’t sad? _

**SHUJI** : Why do you care so much now? Why didn’t you care when we met?

**KATA** : I didn’t--I didn’t know how to care. 

**SHUJI** : That doesn’t even make sense.

  
**KATA** : I never had friends. I never had anyone around me who didn’t want something from me. Who didn't want to use me. I believed you would all be out to get me the minute we heard about the mutual killing thing. Masanori tried to frame me, and I got scared. I was so caught up in my own--in my own bullshit! I was so scared and paranoid about everyone trying to use me to get away with murder, or to get out, or whatever. 

**SHUJI** : So you hid. 

**KATA** : Yes. I’m not lying when I say I wanted to get everyone out, but I did hide. I didn’t want to be a part of this.

**SHUJI** : Well, congrats, you aren’t--

**KATA** : Listen to me, please. I didn’t want to be a part of anything, because I never had been. Somehow separating myself from everyone, and watching, it...made me realize that I am a part of this.

_ I chew on that for a while in my head.  _

_ Now that the anger is fading, it’s easier to see him as he is.  _

_ I don’t know if I like him. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive him. But I see him, at least. I suppose everyone deserves that much. _

**SHUJI** : I don’t know if anyone will want anything to do with you, but I guess you are part of this whether we want you or not.

**KATA** : [Relieved, laughing.] Somehow that’s a warmer welcome than anything I could have asked for. The fact that all of you hate my guts...it’s so much better than pretending you like me after what I did, just to get my help.

**SHUJI** : Have people really used you that much? You prefer being actively hated than like, a shallow friendship?

**KATA** : I was told--I--I’m not sure it matters, now. But, yes. In school I was always the smartest, and people would try to be close to me to get my help. I knew how to dress well, and I looked good, so people would try to be close to me as some kind of status symbol. Nobody saw me as a person.

**SHUJI** : I’m not sure it matters either. I think I want to go to sleep for a thousand years after this conversation, but, Kata--

**KATA** : But?

**SHUJI** : Just because people don’t treat you like a human being doesn’t mean you have the right to stop acting like one. 

_ I start to walk away, satisfied with my final word, but he walks forward and gets in front of me. I don’t bother masking the irritation on my face. _

**KATA** : You’re right.

**SHUJI** : I’m glad you can see that. I’m going to bed.

**KATA** : Before you go, I...I think you should call me Kenichi.

_ Right, his name is Kenichi Ken. I’d almost forgotten about his real name. _

**KENICHI** : If I’m going to start acting like a person, being called my stupid pen name won’t help.

**SHUJI** : Fine. I’ll call you Kenichi.

_ This time, when I walk away, he doesn’t stop me. _

* * *

 

PROFILE: **GET**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so eager to post this update I forgot to put notes on it and am having to edit these in. 
> 
> Next update will be on March 25th! Please leave your thoughts, comments, outrage, theories, etc in the comments or join the server (link in the story summary) to come yell at me! I appreciate any feedback at all!


	37. Chapter Four: Phoenix (4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about frogs and the spa. Nobody cries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a mellowing-out point after the high drama of the last two! I hope you enjoy it!

_ I can’t sleep. _

_ My mind is exhausted from revelation after revelation, argument after argument all day long, but my body refuses to cooperate. _

_ I’ve been lying here for hours, probably, and yet… _

**SHUJI** : This sucks.

_ I sit up and check my phone. It’s only 9 PM. Not even night time by the mansion’s standards.  _

**SHUJI** : Ugghh…

_ Okay, I need to get out of bed. This sleep thing isn’t working for me.  _

_ Still in pajamas, I leave my room and try to figure out something to do to waste my time until my body gets off its high horse and decides to feel sleepy. Rubbing my eyes wearily, I let my feet figure it out for me.  _

_ The cool, hard packed dirt feels strange on my bare feet as I find myself treading the path between the two buildings available to me. The dim light, peculiar sensation of cold dirt, and the mental exhaustion paired with physical jitters create a dreamlike quality that seeps into my mind and motions. _

_ Perhaps that’s why I find myself in the trial room. I don’t think it’s a decision a more conscious version of myself would have made, but it’s where I end up.  _

_ Oddly, I’m not the only one here. _

**SHUJI** : Yui?

_ Yui is sitting in the chair with Kyo’s name on it, one leg crossed over the other, staring at the ceiling. She’s visibly startled when she hears her name, but recovers quickly, settling her elbow on one of the chair’s arms and resting her head against her fist. _

**YUI** : Oh--I didn’t expect anyone else to come here.

**SHUJI** : That’s fair. I guess I didn’t expect to be here, either.

**YUI** : Are you...in pajamas, Shuji?

_ I look down at myself. My pajama pants are fluffy, slightly too big, with a miniature arcing rainbow pattern--complete with little clouds at either end. My shirt was a fairly normal T-shirt that I’d managed to spill a lot of soy sauce on during the Dark Weeks a while ago that had a stain in the shape of a smiling face with a tongue sticking out if you squint.  _

_ Not my best look, for sure. _

**SHUJI** : What gave it away?

_ Yui smiles, but she looks exhausted.  _

**YUI** : It’s a good look on you.

**SHUJI** : [Laughs] Really? I expected you to have higher standards.

_ I take a seat in my own chair. It’s strange, being here, sitting here together, with nobody else. I keep my eyes on her, not wanting to look at the empty chairs or whatever mocking things might have been placed in the chairs of those we’ve lost. _

**YUI** : I suppose I should. Have higher standards, I mean.

_ She looks speculative, but doesn’t continue. _

**SHUJI** : It’s alright. It turns out I’m not even a Hope’s Peak graduate, so why bother with fancy pajamas anyway, right?

**YUI** : If I remember correctly, it turns out you may not be any kind of high school graduate.

**SHUJI** : [Frowning.] Yeah...right. I guess so.

**YUI** : I didn’t mean to be cruel. You have to understand that this is something of a revelation for all of us, although it does affect you the most personally. We’ve been believing one thing about you this whole time, but now we’ve been put in a position to reevaluate everything about you. You’re an entirely new person.

_ Although she makes clear, direct eye contact with me the entire time she’s talking, I can’t help but get the vibe that she’s not talking about me. _

_ Then again, who else could she be talking about? _

**SHUJI** : I don’t think I’m entirely new just because I’ve learned new information about myself. I’m gonna be looking at myself differently, sure, but it’s just adding on to the stuff I already knew. 

**YUI** : I don’t believe I understand.

**SHUJI** : Do you know how to ride a bike?

**YUI** : I do. Is this relevant?

**SHUJI** : Sure. Did you become a totally new person when you learned how to ride a bike?

**YUI** : These aren’t the same.

**SHUJI** : Not exactly, but I think they’re close enough. When you do new stuff, or learn new stuff about yourself, it’s all adding to the picture of who you are. Getting all hung up on identity--

**YUI** : Identity is important.

**SHUJI** : Yeah, but--

**YUI** : You and I know more than some that identity can be life or death.

**SHUJI** : I agree, but--

**YUI** : A change, a realization so large is tantamount to the death of the previous self. Whoever we were before we transitioned, for example, are dead now. Just as the idea we had in our head for who you were before is dead as we take in new information.

_ I rub my head, trying to take in what she’s saying.  _

**SHUJI** : I don’t think the pre-transition me is dead. He’s a confused kid, sure, and he doesn’t know who he is yet. But he’s always been me. I’ve always been me. I’ve been through a lot, but I don’t think anything has made any part of me die.

**YUI** : …

**SHUJI** : I guess my experiences aren’t universal, but--

**YUI** : I have been dying my whole life.

**SHUJI** : Well that just sounds a bit dramatic.

**YUI** : The old me died when I realized I was a girl, and died again when I was able to begin transitioning, just as the old me died when Kyo saved my life as a child. The old dies to make way for the new you. I think life is all about deaths and rebirths. Mine certainly has been.

**SHUJI** : What do you mean? Did the near death experience change you so fundamentally?

**YUI** : Drowning didn’t kill the old me, it was Kyo.

**SHUJI** : Yui…

**YUI** : I don’t mean to paint them in a negative light. My experiences with them have been just as positive as my revelations regarding my gender. But...I did change, yes.

**SHUJI** : Enough for you to feel like who you were before had to stop existing?

**YUI** : Yes. Kyo introduced me to a whole new way of life. My family has always been poor, but they were...beyond wealthy. I let my old habits, my old ways of speech, fade away in order to adapt to this new world.

**SHUJI** : What about now? Have you died since waking up here?

_ She pauses, her eyebrows scrunching together as she looks away, trying to find words for her thoughts.  _

**YUI** : I think I’m dying right now.

**SHUJI** : Well, I’m no EMT--

_ She cuts me off with laughter. _

**YUI** : I don’t expect you to fix me.

**SHUJI** : Me neither. Plus, I don’t think there’s anything to fix. I have noticed that you and Kyo aren’t always on the same page anymore, though. Do you feel like you’re changing?

**YUI** : I suppose it’s the nature of a high stress situation, to change…

_ She trails off, but it sounds like she has more to say.  _

**SHUJI** : But is changing the same as death? Say you and Kyo grow apart a bit while you’re in a horrible, traumatic experience. That doesn’t stop you from going back to who you were before, once you’ve gotten therapy. 

**YUI** : [Looking down.] But it could never be the same. I could never be the same.

**SHUJI** : Sure, nobody’s the same as they were when we’re kids, either. But we take these foundations and move forward. By saying that the old you died, you’re preventing yourself from taking the things from the old you with you into the future.

**YUI** : There are some things I don’t want with me.

**SHUJI** : Then leave those things behind, not the whole person. You’re throwing the baby out with the bathwater, Yui.

**YUI** : In this case, I suppose I was the baby.

**SHUJI** : You kind of still are.

**YUI** : [Surprised.] Have I been so childish?

**SHUJI** : No! I mean, that person who you were is still the foundation of who you are. You’re the baby who grew up, even if you tried to kill her off. You’re always you.

_ She shakes her head slowly, uncertainly. _

**YUI** : I don’t think I have anything left from the me who I was. The little girl, if you will, is gone.

**SHUJI** : You said you grew up poor. Is there anything salvageable from your childhood that you could never, ever do with Kyo?

**YUI** : ...My grandparents have a house in the country. It’s very old fashioned, I think they inherited it. I haven’t been there in years, of course. I’m far too busy.

**SHUJI** : Yeah? My aunt and uncle moved into a renovated old fashioned house when I was a kid. What did you do at your grandparents house?

**YUI** : My sister and I would catch frogs in the stream. 

**SHUJI** : [Lighting up] Really? Were you good at it?

**YUI** : [Smiling] I was certainly better than my sister. We must have been...oh, very young, the last time we were there. I’d catch them and let them go, and she’d try to keep them all as pets. My grandmother threatened to boil and eat them if we tried to hold onto them too long. I think the last time we went I caught more than twenty, but since I was letting them all go it might have been the same handful of frogs over and over again.

**SHUJI** : Yui, I have a very serious proposal.

**YUI** : [Startled] Oh?

**SHUJI** : When we get out of here, let’s go frog catching.

**YUI** : Did you do it as a child as well?

**SHUJI** : I never have! It sounds so fun!

**YUI** : I don’t know...it’s dirty work. You get muddy, and--

**SHUJI** : Perfect!

**YUI** : I don’t think I have any clothes that would be suited for the activity.

**SHUJI** : We’ll get new clothes. We’ll get them cheap, we’ll go out into the woods, and we’ll stomp around in a creek until we find frogs. 

**YUI** : But--why?

**SHUJI** : Because it sounds fun. But, more importantly, it’s a fond memory you have of a childhood you want nothing to do with anymore. It’s a part you can choose to keep with you, even if you get rid of the rest. You’re struggling with who you are right now, because you might be going through another big change, but if you want to, you can keep parts of who you are now without killing them.

**YUI** : So, even if Kyo and I go through some separation, I can still choose to maintain my friendship with them even if the nature of the friendship is altered by our time here?

**SHUJI** : Yes!

**YUI** : But...frogs?

**SHUJI** : Frogs!!

_ She laughs, and some of the exhaustion in her seems to fade away. Her posture seems almost relieved. _

**YUI** : Okay, frogs. As soon as we get out of here.

**SHUJI** : Hey, Yui?

**YUI** : Yes?

**SHUJI** : I’m glad we had this conversation. A lot happened today, and I don’t know how to approach a lot of it. But it’s nice thinking that, no matter what happens, I’ll still be me. And we’ll still have frogs.

_ She looks down for a moment, her eyelashes blocking my view of her eyes, before looking at me again with a new sense of resolve. _

**YUI** : We’ll always have frogs, Shuji.

_ We sit in silence for a while, comfortable in each other’s presence but not knowing what to say. _

**THE FEY** : Helloooo naughty children! It’s 10 PM, and time for you to hit the sack! Or, you know, do whatever you want. To whomever you want! Like with a knife, hopefully. But be creative, I’m not gonna tell you how to get your rocks off with murder! But I do hope it’s with murder…

_ Night time, finally. _

**SHUJI** : She’s been more talkative since she got fixed, huh?

**YUI** : I suppose so. We should head in, though.

**SHUJI** : Oh, sure.

**YUI** : Starting tomorrow, we’ll be encouraging everyone to stay in their rooms after the nightly announcement. I hope you’ll cooperate.

_ She walks out, toward the suites, but I stay behind for a moment to think. _

_ I guess things have changed. I guess they always will, though.  _

_ My body might be tired enough to sleep now, I hope.  _

_ I head to my bedroom for the night. _

* * *

 

**THE FEY:** Goooood morning! It’s 7 AM! The birds are shining, the sun is singing--did I get that wrong? Ha! Trick question! You wouldn’t know because you’ll never see daylight again! Get to the foyer STAT! It’s not like you have anything better to do.

_ I feel shockingly well rested when I hear the morning announcement. I guess that has something to do with having slept for who knows how long and then immediately having an early bedtime.  _

_ STAT is just a suggestion, right? I take the time to change into morning clothes and take a fairly leisurely pace as I head out of the hallway into the foyer. _

_ Most everyone is already gathered here, but there are a few stragglers behind me as well. The Fey makes the motion of tapping a foot impatiently, but it loses impact due to the fact that she’s several feet in the air. She’s just wiggling her foot. It’s very silly. _

**KINOSUKE:** Hey, dude. 

**SHUJI:** Mornin’! Make any progress with the files yesterday?

**KINOSUKE:** [Shrugs.] Not much. I can’t say how much of it is even useful.

**KYO:** [Sipping from a mug.] Hey Shuji! Fukuoka-san. Have you decided what team to join yet?

**KINOSUKE:** Seems like the jury’s out on this one.

**SHUJI:** I still think the teams are dumb.

**KYO:** Your loss.

_ Others are chatting as well, waiting for everyone to filter in. Nobody seems to be taking The Fey very seriously right now, and it’s kind of a relief.  _

_ Without much pomp, The Fey goes over to the name wheel and spins it. _

**PV:** Wait! We didn’t get the opportunity to volunteer!

**THE FEY:** You all lollygagged on your way here, so you missed the time bracket! Ha!

_ The wheel starts clicking slower, our hearts in our throats as we watch the names flick by. This is our first real one. The others were all examples, or negated by the volunteers. Whatever the secret is, I’m sure we as a group can handle it, but the punishments… _

_ I glance over at the other menacing wheel but my attention is claimed by the wheel of names before more than an instant has passed. _

_ The wheel stops. _

**THE FEY:** Oh-hoho! Time to reveal the secret!

_ Roxxy’s name is clear for all of us to see, and The Fey eagerly snatches the slip of paper with the secret on it. _

**THE FEY:** “Roxxanne Rose is actually Tokiko Takahashi, the illegitimate and unacknowledged daughter of politician Takao Takahashi.”   


**ROXXY:** No!!

_ Fumi practically leaps forward to hold Roxxy’s hand as Roxxy sinks to the ground. _

**FUMI:** It’s okay, it’s okay, it’ll be okay, he’ll understand--

**ROXXY:** No!! He--I--

_ The Fey is already moving to the next wheel though. _

**THE FEY:** I don’t have time for your melodrama! I’ll watch it on DVR later anyway. I can get popcorn then.

**PV:** Shut UP! You don’t even eat!

**THE FEY:** I still like the sound of it popping, you idiot!

_ The Fey spins the second wheel as I hold my breath. The one Noriko voided was a random student losing a limb, wasn’t it? Are they all on that scale? I have no idea what to expect, only that it will be bad. _

_ Click, click. _

_ Click... _

_ Click. _

**THE FEY:** You know, I want to say all of these are my favorites. They’re all pretty damn good. I spent a lot of time coming up with these, and--

**NORIKO:** Get to the point, immediately.

**THE FEY:** Jeez, okay! “Suites will be unlocked during night time until a murder is committed.” This is a good juicy time to kill each other, which should go without saying...

**ISEI:** Nobody is going to do that!

**THE FEY:** Are you sure? Are you really sure about that?Well, now is as good a time as any to find out! But, to business: I will remind everyone that failure to attend any of the Host’s events will be punishable. Heehee… Might wanna be speedier next time...

**KINOSUKE:** Punishable how?

**THE FEY:** You know, the normal way.

**KINOSUKE:** What, like time out?

**THE FEY:** I was thinking of employing violence.

**KINOSUKE:** Is that the standard punishment for breaking any of the rules?

**THE FEY:** Yup!

**KINOSUKE:** What punishments have you doled out so far?

**ROXXY:** [Crying.] She blew up once.

**KINOSUKE:** So your punishments are to...blow up?

**THE FEY:** That was a trial run. If you try to tamper with me physically, yes, you get the Blown Up Face Punishment. But there are others.

**KINOSUKE:** Are there any examples?

**THE FEY:** No! Shouldn’t you be consoling your friend there? And they call me heartless, just because I lack a heart? Well joke’s on you, my collection of organs is always growing so one of these days--

**KINOSUKE:** So you haven’t actually punished anyone yet?

**KENICHI:** Everyone’s been fairly well behaved.

**KINOSUKE:** I see. Can you tell me exactly what punishments--

**THE FEY:** No!! I’m leaving.

_ The Fey vanishes, as she does, leaving us in her wake. _

_ I want to ask Kinosuke questions about...well, his whole line of questioning, there, but I’m drawn to Roxxy instead. She’s on the floor, her makeup running, staring blankly at the wheels. Fumi is crouched next to her, holding her hand, and for a moment I’m reminded of a similar position they were in weeks ago. _

_ But now Roxxy is the weak one, with Fumi doing the comforting. _

_ She just seems dazed. _

_ A number of us exchange glances, but only a few of us approach. _

**SHUJI:** Hey, Roxxy…

**ROXXY:** [Blankly.] Hiya, Shuji.

**KINOSUKE:** Isn’t your dad...Takahashi, he’s the one I brought up the other day.

**ROXXY:** H-he...Haha...Well…

**FUMI:** I don’t think she really wants to talk about it right now.

**KYO:** Did you already know about this?

**FUMI:** We talked about it, yeah. But it’s none of my business and it sure isn’t anybody else’s either!

**ROXXY:** It’s okay...it’s okay. I just need some space.

_ Noriko steps up and in between everyone (besides Fumi) and Roxxy. _

**NORIKO:** Alright, you heard her. Let’s give her some space. We’ll be having a strategy meeting around 1 PM, so please meet with Yui and I in the library at that time. Until then, eat breakfast, stay in small groups, and stay out of trouble.

**PV:** We’re not gonna listen to you, you know.

**YUI:** She wasn’t speaking to you.

**ISEI:** I think Noriko’s only worried about people trying to comfort Roxxy too much so, you know, that’d mean someone with empathy.

**HEIJI:** We’re all Roxxy’s friend, dude. Seems a little harsh.

**ROXXY:** Oookay...I just need to...

_ Without speaking, she surges to her feet and sprints up the stairs. _

**KINOSUKE:** She really is athletic in those high heels. Boggles the mind.

**KYO:** I guess she really does just need some space.

_ I can’t help but frown, although I agree with Kinosuke’s assessment. I can barely run that fast in athletic shoes; I’m astonished at her ability to do cartwheels in heels.  _

_ She may need space, but… _

_ I look at Kyo, who is also frowning in Roxxy’s wake. _

_ When I thought I needed space, I nearly had a meltdown about coasters in the library. I think Roxxy needs someone to be near her and maybe listen, if she wants to talk, without a whole crowd. From what I know about her, isolating herself is definitely some kind of self harm. _

_ The rest of the crowd disperses, going to fix breakfast or whatever else their morning routine might comprise of. Noriko’s group is snappy about departing, following her suggestion closely, while the people who were in PV’s camp seem to drift a bit more. They don’t have orders not to help Roxxy, after all. Still, nobody has gone after her yet. _

_ I start walking up the stairs, and beckon Kinosuke to follow me. As if he has anything better to do-- _

_ The thought stops me in my mental tracks. There’s something wrong with that, right? Something backwards? It’s almost funny, but I can’t put a pin in why. _

_ Whatever, Roxxy is what’s important right now. I gotta check on her. _

_ We find her in the infirmary by methodically checking each room until we come across her. She’s dramatically splayed on a cot, one arm flung over her eyes and the other just dangling with her knuckles resting on the floor. She’s slightly too long to fit comfortably on the cot, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped her. _

_ She doesn’t react much when she hears us come in. I see her body tense briefly when the door opens, but she immediately goes back into her limp pose, so it’s barely more than a twitch. _

_ Kinosuke looks at me at a loss, but I just shrug and take up a seat on the floor next to her. _

**SHUJI:** The Victorians really knew what they were doing with fainting couches everywhere, huh?

**ROXXY:** OMG, I know, right? I’ve been thinking about that, like, the whole time I’ve been up here. 

_ She shifts her arm very slightly to see who she’s talking to, but otherwise doesn’t move. _

**SHUJI:** That’s all you’ve been thinking about?

**ROXXY:** Uh-huh. One hundred percent, purebred, no additives, just, like, fainting couches. Couches that you faint on. This place is, like, totally fancy enough to have fainting couches and I have to do with this shitty little cot, which is, like, probably a Geneva violation if you think about it.

**KINOSUKE:** I think that’s at least one of many war crimes in this house.

**ROXXY:** Yeah, like, also all the murders. Though to be perfectly honest I’m not like totally sure if what’s going on is a war crime or a normal crime, you know?

**SHUJI:** Can I ask you a question, Roxxy?

**ROXXY:** Nope!

_ Wow, she shut me down faster than I expected. _

**KINOSUKE:** Do we have to be at war to have war crimes committed against us?

**ROXXY:** Like, us personally or the country we’re in? Cuz I think you could really easily say we’re totally at war with each other personally.

**KINOSUKE:** Yeah, that Noriko versus Pure Virtual fight has been pretty nasty.

**ROXXY:** And like, on a meta level we’re all at war with ourselves, here, cuz of the motive!

**SHUJI:** Can we talk about the motive?

**ROXXY:** No!

_ Strike two! _

**KINOSUKE:** Do you mean like a war between our public persona and the secrets we keep?

**ROXXY:** Totally! Like Noriko’s obviously this protector person in our lives but her secret makes her sound like a nutcase! I don’t believe it for a second.

**KINOSUKE:** You don’t believe that she killed someone?

**ROXXY:** Well, maybe she did! But the guy she killed was probably a scumbag and it was for the betterment of everyone anyway. She’s a total hero! I can’t imagine her just sacrificing her morals like that, cuz they’re super important to her!

**KINOSUKE:** She didn’t seem to think it was okay or just--

**ROXXY:** Well,duh! Murder is pretty much a big no-no in her moral code, so it just goes to show that she’s still morally awesome because she doesn’t let herself be the exception!

**SHUJI:** Roxxy--

**ROXXY:** I don’t wanna talk about it! I’m fine!

**SHUJI:** I’ll let you paint my nails.

**ROXXY:** ...Oh?

**SHUJI:** Whatever color you want.

_ Roxxy sits up and squints at me suspiciously. She turns her head to look at Kinosuke with a similar expression, but her face lights up after a moment. _

**ROXXY:** Hey! Kata’s alive!

**KINOSUKE:** Sure is. I hear that’s a pretty big problem--

**ROXXY:** No, that means the bath isn’t full of death anymore! We can finally have a spa day!

**SHUJI:** If we do a spa day with you, can we talk about what went on downstairs?

**ROXXY:** Absolutely! Like, what would even be a better place to talk about it than in the spa? Kinosuke can come too, if he wants, cuz I’d like to get to know him!

_ Home run!! _

_ Finally. _

_ We all head next door to the bath house. I haven’t been here since Kenichi “died,” but it looks pretty much the same. The projection is of early morning, where the sun has finished rising but there’s still pink lingering in the clouds. _

_ It’s been so long since I’ve seen the sky. _

_ Roxxy pretty much immediately gets undressed and wraps herself in a towel, and Kinosuke follows suit with a short shrug. The two of them sit down at the edge of the bath, putting their feet in, before Roxxy leaps to her feet. _

**KINOSUKE:** What’s wrong?

**ROXXY:** I have to go get the nail polish!! Everything’s in my room!

_ Without putting on her clothes, just securing her towel tighter, she leaves before we can say anything about it. _

**KINOSUKE:** That girl moves fast!

_ I carefully take off my sweater and roll up my jeans, placing my feet in the warm water. _

_ Thinking back, it was really clever of Kenichi to have faked his death in here. The water is so hot that it would heat up a corpse, or so we all thought. I find myself frowning at the memory. I was the one who dragged him out of the water. I was the one accused in the first place. _

_ But Lani paid the price, didn’t he? _

**KINOSUKE:** Hey, Shuji?

**SHUJI:** Mm?

**KINOSUKE:** You look really uncomfortable. Are you sure you want to do this spa thing?

**SHUJI:** I mean, if it gets Roxxy to talk about her feelings--

**KINOSUKE:** I’m talking about you, not Roxxy. Are you okay? 

**SHUJI:** I’m fine. I can handle being a little bit uncomfortable if it’s to help out my friends.

**KINOSUKE:** Since when are you and Roxxy so tight, anyway?

**SHUJI:** Were we not close in school? I thought Roxxy was naturally friends with everyone.

**KINOSUKE:** Oh, yeah, she was. But you kept to yourself most of the time, so you were friendly but not...Like, I can’t imagine you subjecting yourself to a spa day in high school.

**SHUJI:** I guess the circumstances call for it. Maybe I’ve grown up a bit?

_ Kinosuke looks thoughtful, but before he can reply, Roxxy comes charging back in with her arms full of spa-day essentials. _

**ROXXY:** Okay, now we’re really ready! I brought nail polish in multiple colors because I didn’t wanna choose for you, I brought face masks so we look bright and our skin is wonderful, I brought some electric candles that I got in the gacha machine, and I found this paint roller in the workshop a while ago!

**KINOSUKE:** Paint roller?

**ROXXY:** For your face! It’s not the same as a face roller, but like, it’s the same in theory, right? Oh! But I brought something else, too!

_ Roxxy throws a giant fluffy bathrobe at me. It lands on my face, but tumbles into my lap and tries to make its way into the water before I catch it. _

**SHUJI:** What’s this for?

**ROXXY:** Well, like, I’m not trans so I don’t really know stuff about this in particular but I bet having some more coverage might make you feel comfier than a towel. It’s your choice, like, duh, but I thought this might help!

_ I feel like I could cry, but that would be embarrassing, so I don’t.  _

**SHUJI:** Thank you, Roxxy.

_ She smiles brightly at me, and I smile back.  _

_ I can’t imagine that I was ever not close with her in any lifetime.  _

_ I get behind the changing screen and change into the bath towel, which is large and shapeless but tied in the front. I look like I’m made of marshmallows. The ideal physical form. _

**ROXXY:** How is it?

_ I step out from behind the screen. _

**SHUJI:** It’s perfect.

_ In the time it had taken me to change, Roxxy had swept the neatly folded towels off of the shelf and replaced them with her makeover tools in order to go over them with Kinosuke. _

**ROXXY:** Sooo when I planned this in my head, which I have been for like ever, it was only me and Shuji with the occasional guest appearance from Fumi cuz like, it’s my dreams so I can do what I want, but that means I hadn’t really anticipated another person being involved with this, you know? So I didn’t plan for your like, complexion…

_ Kinosuke studies the various nail polishes intently, stroking his chin. _

**KINOSUKE:** Do this one.

_ He reaches for a dark blue container, matching his hair, and grins up at Roxxy. She claps her hands enthusiastically and turns to me. _

**ROXXY:** Alright, so, I picked out a few with you in mind in particular! The yellow goes with your sweaters and your whole sunshine vibe, the purple matches Isei’s shirt, white is a nice neutral, red is my favorite color, and this one’s really glittery so I don’t really expect you to like, go for it or anything but I love it so I couldn’t not include it. Blue is obviously off limits now unless you want to be matchy, but that was gonna be, like, to match your aura or whatever because you’re a calming force!

_ The words rush from her mouth like a dam was breaking. I guess this is what I signed up for, but I really need to get her to talk about her, not just the spa day. _

_ What was that about Isei’s shirt, anyway? _

_ Whatever. I have to stay focused, especially in the face of Roxxy’s limitless energy. _

**SHUJI:** If I get it on my toes instead of my fingers, I’ll do the glittery one.

_ Her eyes sparkle almost as much as the nail polish I select. _

**ROXXY:** Shu-shu...you’re amazing.

_ With Roxxy as a guide, all of us settle into position.  _

[CG: Roxxy sits in the bath while Shuji sits above her, his feet propped up in her lap next to a bottle of extremely glittery nail polish. Kinosuke is also in the bath, facing the edge, painting his own fingernails a deep blue.]

_ Although she appears to be humming happily as she applies this thick glittery polish, there’s the tiniest wrinkle between her eyebrows. She’s trying to keep whatever she’s feeling at bay, but there’s no way she’s not affected by it. _

**SHUJI:** So...you said you’d talk about stuff?

_ Roxxy blinks innocently, the wrinkle fading as she smiles up at me. _

**ROXXY:** What stuff?

**SHUJI** : Don’t play dumb.

**ROXXY:** I would never!

**SHUJI:** What’s the deal with your...your dad? 

_ She frowns sharply, and the wrinkle returns with full force. _

**ROXXY:** I...I guess I did promise.

_ There’s a beat of silence as she considers her words, focusing on my nails. _

**ROXXY:** I guess it’s like, you know, my whole life? I’m not big on backstory dumping. It’s sooo cliche, and like, I can represent myself better than the stupid circumstances of my birth ever could.

**SHUJI:** I get it. You’re your own person, you don’t have anything to do with your parents. But that clearly affected you, and I don’t know how to help if I don’t know what happened.

**ROXXY:** My dad’s a politician.

**KINOSUKE:** Yeah, we know.

**ROXXY:** Annnd...I’m illegitimate.

**KINOSUKE:** We know that too.

**ROXXY:** OMG I’m building up to it, okay? Jeez!

**SHUJI:** Go ahead, Roxxy.

**ROXXY:** Okay. I was born out of wedlock, right as he--my dad--was starting to get into politics. And like, he and mom mom dated but they weren’t super close cuz they both cared more about their careers anyway. So keeping me a secret is, like, a career move! I get it. I honestly do.

**SHUJI:** What about your mom?

**ROXXY:** Oh, she’s an angel! She raised me, and gave up her whole modeling career, and ended up getting into fashion journalism! But I always missed having a dad around, you know? I’d get these dinky little birthday cards from him with some money for mom to help out and they were so…

_ She sighs deeply. _

**ROXXY:** Impersonal. Like I was just item eleven on some to-do list. Like, make sure the laundry is done by Sunday, go to the grocery store, call back my mom before she worries about me, send a note to my secret illegitimate daughter, plan a finance meeting...I was just an et cetera. And more. Nothing he really thought about. Thinks about, I guess.

**KINOSUKE:** And now you’re missing, and he’s the one trying to make sure people don’t get chaotic about it.

**ROXXY:** Like he’s not even worried.

_ She shakes her head. _

**ROXXY:** Anyway, I’ve got this theory. If I’m someone...great, someone incredible, a national icon, then acknowledging me would be more helpful to his career than harmful! I totally understand wanting to take care of your career, so I get it! But if I could be a benefit…

**SHUJI:** Then maybe you could have a dad.

_ She nods. _

**ROXXY:** But if I out him, then the whole deal’s off. If I just go around saying that my dad’s this big famous guy, what reason would he have to want me? I’d look like a total liar, first of all, since we don’t even look that similar, and I’d be trying to profit off of his fame.

**SHUJI:** So, with the motive…

**ROXXY:** This is all on national fucking television from what Kino-chan said. He...I didn’t do anything to stop it, so, like, he’ll totally blame me. Nothing I do, now…

**SHUJI:** That sucks.

**ROXXY:** Like, no kidding.

_ She sniffles slightly as she moves onto the next foot. Checking out the one she’d finished, I’m more surprised than I should be; she’s really skilled at this. _

**ROXXY:** I do everything in the world for the approval of my stupid dad, and then...it’s all ruined anyway. He doesn’t even care if I’m missing.

**KINOSUKE:** I don’t know if it helps, but I’m not sure that’s quite true.

**ROXXY:** But he’s not even looking!

**KINOSUKE:** I think, from what I remember, Takahashi is looking. He’s just trying to make sure nobody panics, because on a national level people were flipping out. Maybe it’s just a public persona, anyway. 

_ Roxxy looks unconvinced. _

**SHUJI:** I don’t think it matters.

**ROXXY:** It doesn’t matter that my dad doesn’t care about me?

**SHUJI:** Anyone who has even seen you on TV loves you, Roxxy. You’ve got a magnetic personality, and the people around you would do anything for you.

**KINOSUKE:** Shuji’s here getting his nails painted for your benefit, babe.

**SHUJI:** If he wants nothing to do with you, he’s an idiot. I’d want you as my daughter regardless of fame, or benefit. 

**ROXXY:** But you...you don’t understand! If my dad doesn’t even CARE, then--

**KINOSUKE:** Shuji’s dad doesn’t care about him.

**ROXXY:** What, really?

**KINOSUKE:** When Shuji’s mom kicked him out, his dad didn’t even say anything. He just let it happen, and never made an effort to contact him after that.

_ I look up, away from both of them, avoiding eye contact. It’s not exactly something I wanted to think about. _

**ROXXY:** Shuji…

**SHUJI** : It’s fine.

**ROXXY:** It’s not fine! Your parents are both...Can I say mean things about them?

**SHUJI:** Please do.

**ROXXY:** Your parents are feelingless assholes! They wouldn’t know a good son if he hit them across the face! Which, by the way, you should totally do! Just smack ‘em! I’ll back you up. If they sue, I can totally afford better lawyers!

_ I can’t help but laugh. _

**SHUJI:** Thank you, but this is exactly what I’ve been saying to you!

**ROXXY:** I--Oh, wow, it really is. I guess it’s not that easy to just be mad at him and move on, though.

**KINOSUKE:** My parents just ignore me.

**ROXXY:** Oh no, not you too!

**KINOSUKE:** [Laughs.] I don’t remember...as much as I’d like. I think my memories have been fiddled with, but I do know that my older siblings are both huge drama queens and I just stayed quiet and got good grades so I didn’t get any attention from them at all.

**SHUJI:** That can’t be fun, either.

**KINOSUKE:** I’ve considered doing crimes to get them to bail me out, at least to get some face time with them.

**ROXXY:** Why do parents just, like, suck? With my mom as a total exception, obviously.

**KINOSUKE:** Eh, don’t worry about it. It builds character.

**ROXXY:** I think we’ve super duper earned a spa day! Even without a killing game, our lives can be so stressful!

**SHUJI:** Do you feel any better?

_ Roxxy hums for a moment, thinking through her answer. _

**ROXXY:** I know I’m supposed to just, not care what my dad thinks because at least I have a good mom and I’m my own person who doesn’t need his approval.

**SHUJI:** I feel a ‘but’ coming on.

**ROXXY:** It’s not easy to let go, just like that. I need to think about it, and I think it’s a good piece of advice, but I can’t just internalize it immediately.

**SHUJI:** That’s fair.

**ROXXY:** But it’s starting to hurt less. I think saying it out loud is something I haven’t done in a really long time and it...feels nice to just have it out. Living with secrets is no fun.

_ I nod sagely as she finishes putting the sealing coat on my pinky toe. My toes have never been so sparkly and probably will never be this sparkly again.  _

**KINOSUKE:** Do we have time to do face masks? This environment is more stressful than I’m used to, and I’m worried about zits.

**ROXXY:** Mm...You’re welcome to use my face mask, but actually it’s probably time for Noriko’s meeting. 

_ Has that much time really passed already? _

**SHUJI:** You do know that this team stuff is super dumb, right?

**ROXXY:** I don’t think so! I’m tired of seeing people die. I think Noriko has it right...but why don’t you let her tell you?

**SHUJI:** What do you mean?

_ Roxxy gets up, and starts to get changed into her clothes behind the screen. _

**ROXXY:** You can come to the meeting! I bet everyone would be happy to have you on our side, plus you’d break the tie and we could move forward! Your opinion could even sway some of the others, you know?

**KINOSUKE:** Can I come too?

**ROXXY:** Sure, if you want to! But we’re really interested in having Shuji, no offense. We just don’t know you very well.

**KINOSUKE:** No offense taken. Shuji, what’s the plan?

**SHUJI** : I’ll think about it, okay?

**ROXXY:** Okie dokie!

_ She steps out from the screen, fully dressed. I get distracted for a moment, puzzling about how she put the shoe-pants on so quickly, but she walks past me and waves, breaking up my thoughts. _

**ROXXY:** Just don’t be too late! Noriko’s not super duper happy about people who are behind schedule!

_ With that, she leaves Kinosuke and I in the bath house. _

_ It doesn’t take long for the both of us to get changed back into our clothes, though I’m left thinking about this meeting despite myself. _

_ I sigh deeply, knowing what I’m probably about to do. _

**KINOSUKE:** What’s up?

**SHUJI:** We should probably find out what’s going on in that strategy meeting.

**KINOSUKE:** You’re not worried people will think you’ve chosen a side?

**SHUJI:** I’m extremely worried about that, which is very dumb, but I don’t think I have a choice. I really should know what’s going on.

**KINOSUKE:** Alright, I’m with you. I’m pretty curious what ‘strategy’ she has planned, after all.

_ Before going to the library, we go downstairs to grab some fruit for breakfast. With a banana in either hand and the vague idea of an immediate lunch after the meeting, we enter the library to find things already in progress. _

_ Irritation crosses Noriko’s face for a moment upon being interrupted, but laying eyes on us the expression fades into a smile. Roxxy and Fumi wave brightly, glad to see me, while Yui looks more suspicious than anything else. Isei’s face also betrays complex emotions; first looking glad to see me, and then slipping into bafflement at my presence. _

**NORIKO:** Shuji! I knew Roxxy had invited you, but I hadn’t expected you to come.

**KINOSUKE:** And I’m also here!

**NORIKO:** You sure are. Feel free to take seats.

**YUI:** We’d just finished going over the plan for the meeting, as well as our functioning roles on the team.

**SHUJI:** Roles? This sounds pretty formal.

**NORIKO:** [Smiling.] Don’t worry, most of them are just formalities. 

YUI: Must we repeat everything we’ve just gone over?

**FUMI:** It’ll be fast. I took the minutes, which, uh, is my role, so I have everything we’ve said written here.

_ I go to stand near her, looking over her shoulder at what she’s written. _

  * Strat > Rx > QQ
  * N = L *
  * Y = CL
  * I = AD
  * R = M <3
  * F = MN



**FUMI:** [Nervous] Um…

**SHUJI:** Wow, this is incomprehensible.

**KINOSUKE:** Ooh, is it a code?

**FUMI:** I just shortened everything so I could take notes quickly! I was planning on writing them up more, er, you know...formally...later.

**YUI:** She’s an incredibly efficient scribe.

**FUMI:** Uh...well okay. The top line says the plan for the meeting, which is that this is for the purpose of strategizing our survival and escape for the remainder of our time here. Then we go into roles on the team, to ensure everyone knows what’s going on, and then there’s a time slot for answering questions.

**SHUJI:** Wow! All of that just from a few letters?

**ROXXY:** [Dreamy Sigh.] Isn’t she incredible?

**KINOSUKE:** Yeah, that’s really impressive!

**ISEI:** The next part is all of our roles. Noriko is the leader, obviously. Yui is her second in command, who we’ll defer to if Noriko is unavailable. 

**SHUJI:** And you’re the ‘AD’?

**ISEI:** Advisor. They trust me to nay-say anything I think is too severe, and I’m also responsible for trying to actively seek out ways to escape or any information that could help us.

**KINOSUKE:** So you’re the brains, huh?

**ISEI:** [Blushing, looking away.] That’s not what I said.

**ROXXY:** I’m the cheerleader! Woo!

_ She waves imaginary pompoms with delight. _

**YUI:** We want the whole group to be following the plan we make, which means Roxxy is going to be trying to get the rest of us to realize that this is the right thing to do. She’s a boost to morale, as well as our ambassador.

**NORIKO:** I’m not in a great position to be convincing people that I’m in the right here, due to...well, you  know.

**FUMI:** I guess she’s doing a good job, if you’re here!

**SHUJI:** I’m not really here to join the team, but--

**ISEI:** But hearing our plan is the first step for you to realize that we’re right.

_ I frown at him, and he looks concerned in response. _

**SHUJI:** I’m here to see what’s going on, that’s all.

**NORIKO:** We appreciate you giving us a chance, at least. 

_ I take a seat.  _

**YUI:** From here, we can move onto the actual plan.

_ Noriko stands, and all attention is on her. She’s a pretty good public speaker, and she clearly has a vision for the group. I can understand why people would be drawn to her, even with the whole murder thing. _

_ She outlines her plan very simply: with a set of clearly delineated rules and restrictions, everyone can participate in ensuring that no more death happens. Operating within these rules, the group will try to find a weak spot in The Fey’s security, and escape. _

**NORIKO:** \--With the brightest minds on our side, I have full faith in our ability to make sure everyone gets to safety.

_ She nods at Yui and Isei in particular, and then takes a seat. _

**FUMI:** Which brings us to….ummmm...the rules!

**YUI:** We need to decide what specific rules we’ll have and all agree to follow.

**ISEI:** I think having the rules posted somewhere where the other team can see them and choose to follow them if they want would be a good idea, too.

**NORIKO:** I like it! Fumi, are you ready to write?

**ROXXY:** She was born ready!!

**FUMI:** [Laughs] Yeah, I’m ready.

**NORIKO** : There are a few that we thought about when we first arrived here, and I think those would be good to restate. I believe that we should stay in our suites at during night time, so nobody can wander the halls and become vulnerable by virtue of nobody being around.

_ Noriko waits for Fumi to finish writing, and continues. _

**NORIKO:** Second, traveling in groups is paramount to our survival. Two at a time isn’t enough. We need three people in a group any time we’re out of our rooms.

**ISEI:** How do we find groups when we first wake up?

**YUI:** Noriko is awake before the morning announcement--

**ROXXY:** So am I!

**YUI:** Which means that Noriko and Roxxy can wake the rest of us up and make sure we get to the dining room together.

**ISEI:** [Nods.] That should work. What about the other team?

**NORIKO:** I think the five of us staying together at all times would be counterproductive to the safety of the group, so I was going to suggest attempting to stay in groups with the other team given the opportunity. Everyone passes through the dining room at some point, so we can break from our unit in order to join another one and keep them safe.

_ Wow, it sounds like Noriko has really thought through a lot of this. _

**FUMI:** Okie dokies, I’ve got all of that! Keep going.

**NORIKO:** Thank you. I would like to keep certain areas of the mansion off limits, as well. 

**YUI:** The wine cellar, naturally.

**NORIKO:** Precisely. I don’t think alcohol will help anything. With your help, I’d also like to move all of the alcohol from the kitchen to the wine cellar to effectively group the substances together.

**ROXXY:** Where else?

**NORIKO:** The workshop is obviously dangerous. Due to Miki’s actions last week, I don’t believe we can in good conscience use that room.

**YUI:** The garden and infirmary are points of some contention. While they both contain poisonous materials, they also are quite useful in other scenarios. I know Noriko likes to use the wide open space to spar--

**NORIKO:** No worries, I can use the ballroom. There’s plenty of space in there.

**FUMI:** And the infirmary?

**NORIKO:** Hmm...I suppose we could do without the infirmary, as long as nobody gets hurt…

**ISEI:** I’m gonna disagree. Even if we don’t get hurt, what if someone gets sick? What if a normal injury happens? I think closing off the infirmary would do more harm than good.

**YUI:** Still, the poisons pose a problem. Even if we flush the skull-and-crossbones category poisons, many medicines can be used nefariously.

_ Noriko rubs her chin absentmindedly, thinking through the issue carefully.  _

_ Kinosuke and I exchange a glance. He looks interested, but it’s the same face he wears when posed with an interesting puzzle. I’ve seen that pleased, bright smile more times than I can count when he started in on a new job. It’s as if he thinks Noriko’s security has holes in it, and he’s excited to find them. _

**ROXXY:** What if, like we had Noriko just hang onto them?

**FUMI:** Hang onto what? The medicines?

**ROXXY:** Yeah! So if anyone needs anything, we just get Noriko, who goes to her room and gets out whatever they need.

**FUMI:** Ooh! We could even look for a lock box in the supply closet!

**KINOSUKE:** Negative. That’s my bedroom now.

**SHUJI:** Oh yeah, I haven’t seen in there yet. Is it just a normal room?

**KINOSUKE:** I know it used to be a closet, but it’s just a plain old bedroom with a gacha machine now.

**ISEI:** So where did all of that junk go?

**KINOSUKE:** [Winking.] Oh, I’m not going anywhere.

**ISEI:** [Rolling his eyes.] Very funny.

**YUI:** Hmm. That’s interesting, but I propose we table that until we figure out a solution for the medicine problem. Noriko, are you willing to store the contents of the medicine cabinet in your room?

**NORIKO:** I can do that. After the meeting we can start work on transferring everything dangerous to the appropriate locations. In the meantime, we should continue.

**FUMI:** What’s next?

**NORIKO:** This is just a formality, but I’d like to reiterate that the ground floor bathroom should be off limits.

**FUMI:** Check!

**NORIKO:** Finally, I’d like to get into some rules about behavior. The secrets motive is hitting people hard, and I don’t expect you to divulge all of your secrets for me. Some secrets are secret for a reason. That said, some of those punishments can be pretty nasty. If you feel up to volunteering yours, when the time comes, I’d deeply appreciate it.

**KINOSUKE:** That’s not really a rule, though, is it?

**NORIKO:** No, but I’m getting to that.

**YUI:** I’ll thank you not to interrupt in the future.

**NORIKO:** We’ve all been through a lot together, and we’re all still going through it. Because of that, it’s easy for things to get chaotic. I understand. But in order to end the killings, we need to bring a stop to that chaos. That means looking to one, central leader when things get rough.

_ She frowns, looking down at her hands for a moment, and seems momentarily choked up with emotion. She pats Yui’s shoulder, who continues in her stead. _

**YUI:** These meetings are an opportunity to have your voices heard, and your questions answered. In times of dissent, however, Noriko’s word ought to be the final one. I, personally, trust her to make the right decisions. We have to present a united face to the others, so that they understand that this is the correct way forward. Petty infighting won’t get us anywhere.

_ I struggle not to roll my eyes. Petty infighting? That’s what all of this is! Treating the group as a whole as us vs them isn’t going to solve anything! _

**NORIKO:** Thank you, Yui. Thank you to all of you, actually. I’m so glad we can agree on these important things. And Shuji? Fukuoka-san? Thank you for coming to listen. 

**ROXXY:** We believe in you, Noriko!

**FUMI:** Yeah! You’ve always wanted the best for everyone! You’d go to any lengths to protect us! Besides murder probably, but, uh…

_ Fumi trails off, grimacing at her own statement. _

_ Everyone decides to let it slide. _

**ISEI:** I believe that this is the right thing to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I lied, one person does cry, and she cries a lot. Some of you actually already anticipated Roxxy's secret in some form, though nobody was entirely accurate! That's still really impressive, so good job, guys!
> 
> Next update will roll out on April 8th! I'll see you then!
> 
> If you have comments, thoughts, theories, or any ideas as to other people's secrets that might come up, I'd love to hear about them in the comments or in the discord server (which is linked in the summary of this story)! Even if you just want to yell at me, or point out a typo, I'm glad to hear any feedback whatsoever! Seriously, if you hate this story, I want to know why!
> 
> Once again, thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter as it unfolds, cuz there's still a lot of exciting stuff coming up!


	38. Chapter Four: Phoenix (5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter about secrets and games! Shuji learns more about what PV's team intends to do, and makes a decision about which team he should join.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! This chapter is a whole week early, purely just because I'm impatient.

_ I take off before they get into the questions and answers section, taking Kinosuke with me before he can try to nitpick all of the rules to death. We end up heading toward the new floor, which he hasn’t seen yet due to spending most of his time in the office or with me. While he’s very interested in the planetarium, since I’ve spent a lot of time there, I end up leading him toward the ballroom. _

**SHUJI:** It’s kind of a boring room without people in here, but we could play with the piano or something I guess.

_ We step in, expecting a big empty room, but are greeted with something much nicer. 「Pure Virtual」is at the piano, playing beautifully. They’re facing away from us, and don’t seem to notice us come in. They’re totally enthralled in the music. _

**KINOSUKE:** Looks like someone beat us to the piano, huh?

_ We approach, and their eyes flick up to acknowledge us. They nod, but continue playing their song. It has a sweet, melancholic vibe with a strangely hopeful and explorative lilt, echoing throughout the ballroom perfectly. This is the venue a piano like that was meant to be played in, that’s for sure.  _

**SHUJI:** I didn’t know you could play!

_ They glance at me with the suggestion of a smile, but remain focused on their fingers. _

**KINOSUKE:** This is really beautiful, PV.

**PV:** Thank you, Fukuoka-san. I like that...Pee Vee…

**SHUJI:** I’ve been calling you that in my head for ages.

**PV:** It’s cute.

**KINOSUKE:** I bet you’ve been really pent up, not being able to make any music for the entire time you’ve been here. 

**PV:** [Laughs.] To be fair, I’m still not making music. This is a shameless cover.

**SHUJI:** I don’t think there’s any shame in ‘covering’ Mozart.

**PV:** I...well, no, but…

**KINOSUKE:** Ah, classic Shuji, not knowing your composers. This is clearly Bach…? 

**SHUJI:** You totally just made that up!

**KINOSUKE:** Yeah you’re completely right. Is Bach even a composer?

**SHUJI:** I think he’s a real composer?

**KINOSUKE:** God, I wish Aika were in here to make a Debussy joke.

**SHUJI:** But what are you playing, PV?

**PV:** [Embarrassed.] Er...it’s Joe Hisaishi… This is from Howl’s Moving Castle...

_ I blink. _

**SHUJI:** So that’s why it’s so pretty!

**KINOSUKE:** [Stroking his chin] Ahh...Joe Hisaishi is truly a master…

**PV:** [Laughs.] He truly is, you’re correct.

**SHUJI:** I don’t know why I didn’t think you’d be able to play piano.

**PV:** It’s a nice skill to have as a basis for other music, I think. Even if Vaporwave hardly qualifies, I like the idea of eventually branching out. 

**KINOSUKE:** That’s cool! Though, I think Vaporwave can qualify as music. You’ve got a ton of fans, and they certainly seem to think it’s music.

**PV:** This is true. They also seem to think something being popular makes it bad, however. It’s a careful balance of making something that passes as music, but also is bad enough that nobody wants to listen to it.

**SHUJI:** I’m not going to pretend to understand that.

**PV:** Then you are wiser than many, Shuji. I’ve talked myself blue in the face trying to make it make sense to people, but I feel that ultimately there comes a point where it’s best just to let it be.

**SHUJI:** You keep mentioning your friend, from before Hope’s Peak, did he get it?

**PV:** Not even a little.

**KINOSUKE:** Aw, that sucks. If your best friend is totally uninvolved in the stuff you’re doing, it creates a wall between you, you know?

**PV:** We had other things, besides my music and his wine.

**SHUJI:** Like what?

**PV:** You want me to tell you about it?

**SHUJI:** Sure, why not? I want to understand you better.

**PV:** Alright. He and I are childhood friends--or, rather, I suppose I should say childhood enemies.

**KINOSUKE:** Ooh, this one has plot twists!

_ Kinosuke takes a seat on the floor to look up at PV, beaming at the both of us. _

**PV:** We’re from wildly different backgrounds. He grew up poor, I grew up wealthy. This was a rift between us, until we discovered what we had in common.

**SHUJI:** What was that?

**PV:** Mocking people.

_ Considering PV’s secret reveal from yesterday, this makes me frown despite myself.  _

**KINOSUKE:** Wow, okay.

**PV:** Not, like--I meant… He got a scholarship to go to the same school as I did, and most everyone there were spoiled rich kids, just like me. He was vicious to them as a form of self defense, so that their opinions of him wouldn’t get to them. He was vicious to me, too, but I think it was good for me. I took his side, and we’d playfully talk shit about all of the other hoity-toity rich children.

_ It’s really starting to sound like PV just bullied their classmates. _

**KINOSUKE:** Talked shit, how?

**PV:** Not to pat myself on the back, but when my friend was mean to me, I saw the truth behind his words. I got into the school because of my family, not any of my own merits. I looked down on him for no real reason. Once he said that, I realized my faults. Which, by extension, was realizing the faults of those around me.

_ They fold their hands in their lap, looking up as if to remember. _

**PV:** We banded together and I was mocked for befriending him. So I mocked back. I let them know how inflated their egos were, how ridiculous their complaints were, and I played the world’s tiniest violin whenever they expressed despair that their family may have to go without a vacation on the family’s yacht because of exams.

**SHUJI:** Is that a thing? A family yacht?

**KINOSUKE:** Was it a literal violin?

**PV:** [Laughing.] Yes, once it was a literal violin. My friend and I put on a whole show and...Those were good times. The best, though, was when we all went golfing for a classmate’s birthday party.

**SHUJI:** I guess you probably don’t mean minigolf.

**PV:** Mini…? As in, smaller golf?

**KINOSUKE:** Sometimes your life sounds so sad.

**PV:** I...it does?

**KINOSUKE:** Carry on with your story, though.

**PV:** Right. 

**PV:** When we arrived, one classmate immediately loped to the side of the birthday girl, and took a sympathetic posture. She leaned forward, hands clasped to her chest, and started going on about how kind and good it was of the birthday girl for inviting people to her party out of the goodness and charity of her heart, casting long looks in our direction the whole time of course.

**KINOSUKE:** Wow, she sucks.

_ They start in on a new song on the piano, now, delicately pressing the keys while they continue their story. It sounds a bit familiar; I wonder if it’s another Joe Hisaishi tune. _

**PV:** She does. Did, maybe. I don’t know if she got better.

**KINOSUKE:** That does happen sometimes.

**PV:** But I immediately took posture, imitating her as best I could, making wide, sincere eyes at the birthday girl and more or less mimicked her speech. Not in a childish, word for word kind of way, but I thanked the birthday girl for including such classmates of ours who were known to be utterly heartless and cruel. It really showed a strength of character, I said, to try to take them under her wing and try to show them how to act like a human person in a society.

**SHUJI:** Wow.

**PV:** My friend took point beside me, looking a little bit more standoffish but that was his method, and added that it showed how well the birthday girl had been doing in training her friends, since they had learned the word ‘charity’ and ‘goodness’ at some point since we’d last seen them.

**SHUJI:** [Amused.] How old were you when this was happening?

**PV:** Mmm...around 9, I think?

_ I can’t help but laugh, and Kinosuke joins in with me. PV has a satisfied little smile as they finish the piano melody and start up a new one. _

_ Sitting there, listening to the beautiful music, I can’t help but think about PV’s story. The point, to me, was how absurd the whole thing was. Picking sides, pitting one another against each other, refusing to be friends out of a misplaced sense of identity...It’s too much like our current situation not to laugh at. _

_ If only I could show everyone how ridiculous their teams are. _

_ Noriko vs PV is as petty as PV’s classmates vs each other, and as silly as playing full-scale golf at a nine year old’s birthday party. _

_ Idly, I start to wonder if I can come up with things that are equally silly. _

_ Like games without rules. Like a race with no deadline. There’s no way to win this, after all; teaming up against each other turns us all into losers. _

_ If I could just make them see that… _

_ The beautiful piano melody comes to an abrupt stop, stirring me from thought. _

**SHUJI:** Is everything okay?

**PV:** Yes, of course! I just remembered that I agreed to meet with everyone else in the sitting room downstairs.

_ My mouth twists despite myself. That’s where Alena died. It was where the first blood was spilled in this whole horrible experience, and I haven’t been able to enter the room since then. _

_ PV looks at me knowingly, as if they can read my mind, and reaches out to touch my hand reassuringly. _

**PV:** I know. It’s not a place any of us think of fondly.

**KINOSUKE:** Was it your idea to meet there?

**PV:** Yes. We keep ourselves from the places where terrible things have happened, understandably, but we’re cutting ourselves off from large portions of the house now. If we feel cooped up, tensions will continue to rise, and…

_ I can’t help but think of Noriko’s rules, making several more rooms off limits. _

**PV:** I thought if we went to the source, where things started, maybe it’ll be easier to approach the other places. I was hoping that we could start to deal with this, so we’d be more comfortable.

**KINOSUKE:** What are you guys meeting about?

**PV:** We want to ensure that the Host and The Fey have no power over us. You two can come, if you’d like. You’re both welcome.

_ They smile in a rehearsed sort of way, and head out. I shrug, and beckon Kinosuke to follow me as I trail after them. What they said did make sense, and I’m curious as to their ideas for escaping from under the Host’s thumb, but more importantly I have my own ideas as to stop this nonsense altogether. _

_ Unlike with Noriko’s meeting, where we were late, we’re the first people to arrive. _

_ PV studiously begins to move the chairs around to make a semi-circle around the fireplace, and without thinking I move to help them. Kinosuke observes carefully, but doesn’t step in probably for fear of getting in the way. _

_ Once things are set up, people start filtering in. _

_ Heiji and Kyo come together, with a bowl of cheese puffs and big smiles on their faces. They make themselves busy by setting up hot chocolate by the china cabinet in the back of the room, as well, having apparently designated themselves the snack experts for this particular meeting. _

_ Kata--I mean, Kenichi--comes next, but more or less lingers at the corners of the room. For once, seeing him doesn’t make me scowl. I acknowledge him with a nod, and the ghost of a smile crosses his face as he nods back. _

_ Aika is last. She takes a seat almost immediately, looking a little bit paler than normal--if that’s possible. _

_ Once everyone arrives, we settle into the seats. There isn’t enough space for all of us to sit comfortably, but Kenichi gladly sacrifices his seat and stands near the door, and Kinosuke is always happy to sit on the floor. There’s a bit of a shuffle as Heiji decides sitting on the floor sounds fun too, so ultimately, they both sit cross legged at everyone’s feet. _

**PV:** Thank you all for coming to sit with me, today.

**HEIJI:** C’mon, it’s like the least we could do.

**KYO:** And since it’s the least we could do, we went above that and brought snacks! It’s nothing fancy, but…

**AIKA:** So do you think this room is haunted?

**KENICHI:** If anywhere in this mansion is haunted, it’s the whole thing. 

**AIKA:** Fair enough.

**PV:** You’re probably wondering why I asked everyone to meet me.

**KYO:** Not really. I figured, Noriko has a strategy meeting, so we’d do something like that. 

**PV:** Not exactly. I guess it is a strategy, but not like anything she’d do.

_ Vitriol creeps into their voice, apparently unbidden, but we all pretend not to notice. _

**PV:** I’d like to inspire trust in each other.

**AIKA:** Don’t tell me we’re going to talk about our feelings.

**PV:** You don’t have to if you don’t want to, and that’s also not exactly what I intended. I was thinking about the motive.

**HEIJI:** Yeah, Roxxy flipped out. I’ve never seen her like that.

**PV:** It really affected her. And it’s affected me, too. I’m worried that people will get more and more anxious as the motive goes on, worrying about their own name being pulled, and that might lead someone to do something unwise.

**KENICHI:** It makes sense that people would be worried. I...saw them. The secrets. Most of them, anyway.

**KYO:** How?

**KENICHI:** Details about all of us are in The Fey’s code. I was able to access some of it, and there were folders containing specifics along the lines of…

_ He looks away. _

**KENICHI:** Things we’d want to keep private.

**PV:** It makes sense to want to keep some things to ourselves. But if we do that, the wheel will always have power over us.

**HEIJI:** What do you mean?

**PV:** [Smiling.] I mean I think it would be good if we shared our secrets with each other. In a safe space, away from people who don’t trust us, we can come to terms with our secrets themselves and it’ll make it easier to volunteer them. That way we don’t have to deal with the punishments, as well.

**AIKA:** Ugh, this is talking about our feelings.

**KYO:** No, I get it. This way that rat fairy can’t hold anything over our heads. We’re confessing them on our own terms, not in front of the whole group, and we get to decide how much to divulge. It’s like a practice round.

**PV:** Exactly!

**HEIJI:** Alright, I get it.

**KENICHI:** Who goes first?

**PV:** Technically, I already did. But whoever wants to go can go.

_ There’s several beats of silence. I try to comb my brain for anything secret and hidden that I’d kill over. I suppose my homelessness was a bit of a secret, but pretty much everyone already knows that by now. The fact that I was kicked out? The fact that I never went to high school? All of these things are well known.  _

**KENICHI:** I’ll go.

_ He takes a deep breath and steps toward the middle of the room, leaning his shoulders against the mantle above the fireplace. _

**KENICHI:** I saw mine. I’d bet it’s word for word what that little paper would say if it got spit out from the wheel. “Kata Ama only believes that love is merely a neurological chemical response because his own parents withhold affection in the hopes that he will be successful.”

**AIKA:** Harsh. I could have told you that, though.

**KENICHI** : I think it’s very reductive, but...perhaps true.

**KYO:** Hmm.

**PV:** Do you still believe that? About neurological chemical responses?

**KENICHI:** I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about a lot of stuff, but I don’t know. It’d be nice to think love is real.

**AIKA:** Since you read our secrets...do you remember them?

_ He hesitates, but ultimately nods. _

**KYO:** I guess that means we can’t lie about them.

**KENICHI:** Some of the data was corrupted, for whatever reason. A handful of people didn’t have anything that I could find, but I think my own digging through was corrupting things as I went.

_ PV’s eyebrow twitches, but they don’t comment. _

**AIKA:** I’ll go, then. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. My experiments on human subjects could easily be called torture by the uninformed. I’m sure that’s what was going to be used to leverage against me. Tell me, Kenichi. Is it?

_ Once again, he hesitates before responding. _

**KENICHI:** Yes. It said you tortured hundreds.

_ They exchange a look that seems to have some meaning behind it, but it only lasts a moment before they turn back to the group. _

**KINOSUKE:** Define torture…?

**AIKA:** Gladly. Torture is defined loosely as inflicting severe pain on someone, which I suppose is true. But it wasn’t meaningless or for anyone’s edification. They were tests. 

**SHUJI:** You’ve mentioned this before.

**AIKA:** Yes. I experimented on people to see what could push them past the boundaries society has created in their minds. It worked. It’s not consistent enough to release to the general public, but once I’ve refined things...my life’s work will be to change all of humanity. 

**KYO:** That sounds...pretty impressive, actually.

**HEIJI:** Mine is that I’m a ho.

**PV:** I’m sorry?

**HEIJI:** Sorry, I just wanted to get it out there. I keep it a secret, but--

**AIKA:** [Delighted.] Did you say you’re a  _ ho _ ?

**HEIJI:** Haha, well, yeah. 

**KYO:** Is that his real secret?

**KENICHI:** I don’t think it was phrased like that, but…

**AIKA:** Oh my god. You’re a ho.

**HEIJI:** I uh...have casual relationships with a lot of people. With my fans, and stuff. It’s probably bad. Nobody gets hurt, really, usually. Sometimes. But I’m just not ready to settle down. I figure it’s bad for my reputation.

**KYO:** You are pretty famous for your big fan following…

**AIKA:** I guess we see the benefit of getting into professional surfing, hm?

**SHUJI:** Don’t be gross.

**AIKA:** I can’t help it. It’s who I am, Shuji.

**SHUJI:** Well...stop being yourself, then. Just for a little while.

**AIKA:** [Laughs.] I’ll do my best.

**KENICHI:** You’re getting along well.

**SHUJI:** Is this getting along well? I’m pretty sure it’s me bullying Aika.

**KENICHI:** She doesn’t let herself be bullied by anyone.

**AIKA:** I’m inconsistent. It keeps people on their toes.

**PV:** Kyo, would you like to tell your secret?

**KYO:** I guess it’s my turn. 

**KINOSUKE** : You got secrets?

**KYO** : I...suppose I do.

_ They look deeply embarrassed. _

**KYO** : I guess it’s good Yui isn’t on this team…

_ They sigh dramatically, raising their hands into a posed shrug. _

**KYO** : When I was younger I would eat raw steak, right out of the fridge. Nobody ever found out that the missing meat was my fault…

_ They look mournfully at the group, as if awaiting a reaction. _

**AIKA** : That’s it? How anticlimactic.

**HEIJI** : Aww, I expected something more.

**PV** : Raw steak isn’t that strange. My grandmother used to say that as long as it was warm in the middle it was edible. Still, I did expect a bit more from a billionaire.

**KYO** : Well, it’s all I could think of!

**KENICHI** : ...This is supposed to be about honesty.

_ Kyo crosses their arms like a little kid, pouting expansively. _

**HEIJI** : He’s right. If you’ve got something else...Like, no judgement, but...Some judgement…

**KYO** : ...Okay. Maybe I have some other stuff. [Sighs.] You all know how Yui and I met?

**KINOSUKE** : Oh yeah, that story’s classic. You saved her life, she owes you a life debt, now you’re partners in crime forever!

**HEIJI** : Everyone loves a good drowning story!

**KYO** : Heh, well, after that Yui and I collaborated on my first ever charity gala. Though, it was barely a gala at that point. I said I wanted to celebrate Yui, and her life, and everything, but…

**PV** : What was it about, really?

**HEIJI** : [Gasp] It was to appease the ocean, huh?

**KYO** : [Laughs awkwardly] Well, no. It was more about appeasing my ego. The whole thing was for...attention. I wanted people to know that I’d saved someone’s life. I even...er...arranged for the press to arrive. I mean, my parents did. But I asked them to. I always pretended someone else must have told them…

_ They hang their head in what appears to be genuine remorse. _

_ I mull over what they’ve said carefully. Dealing with secrets hasn’t ever been my forte, which I guess is why people tend to trust me with them. I’ve mostly discovered that when someone gives you something deeply personal to think about, the safest thing to do is to react as little as possible.  _

_ The thing is, another person’s secret is pretty much never about you. It’s not something you’re meant to know, and if it’s a successfully kept secret it’s probably not even going to affect you that much. If someone wet the bed while they were in middle school--who cares? If Roxxy’s dad is a negligent dick--does that mean I need to feel scandalized? If PV struggles with empathy--isn’t that their personal journey? _

_ Kyo’s secret, just like anybody else’s, is not about me. But it does affect someone else. _

**SHUJI** : Does Yui know?

_ Kyo blinks. _

**KYO** : Of course! Well, not about the raw meat thing. She thought there was some kind of meat thief. But...I did tell her about the party.

**SHUJI** : She’s okay with it?

**KYO** : Yeah! We’re best friends. That kind of thing isn’t gonna get between us.

_ I see Kinosuke shift slightly, but otherwise nobody has reacted that much. _

**AIKA** : Lots of kids want attention. I don’t think that’s inherently a bad thing.

_ Aika breaks the silence with a shrug.  _

_ She’s really been acting like a team player lately. I’m almost proud of her. _

**AIKA** : Which means that Kyo could be lying about this one, as well--

_ Ah, there it goes. _

**PV** : We can’t suspect each other like that. It plays into The Fey’s hand.

**KINOSUKE** : Hey, Kata--

**KENICHI** : It’s Kenichi, now.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, as I was saying, Kata, didn’t you see everyone’s secrets? You could confirm or deny this one.

**KENICHI** : I could, but there’s several reasons why I shouldn’t. One, this is a trust exercise. Having someone to call true or false isn’t really the point. Secondly, if we volunteer our secrets every morning, The Fey will put her negative spin on all of these anyway. Lastly, a lot of your secrets were corrupted. 

**PV** : The point of this isn’t necessarily to have our secrets on the table. The point is that we should feel empowered to volunteer, so The Fey has no power over us.

**HEIJI** : Yeah! Us getting closer and trusting each other more is just a cool side effect!

**AIKA** : Yeah, you’d know all about getting closer to people, huh? 

**HEIJI** : I understand you’re trying to tease me for being a ho, but now that it’s out in the open I’m a lot less embarrassed about it. 

**PV** : It’s a shame Noriko’s team isn’t going to get to experience this. We’ve just disabled the motive, as well as gotten to know each other much better.

**KYO** : Yeah! Hey, Shuji! Is your presence here a sign that you’ve seen the light?

_ The light? _

**KENICHI** : It would be nice to have you on our side, here. If one group has more people believing in it, we might be able to get rid of this team nonsense.

_ A thought occurs to me, and an involuntary smile spreads across my face. _

_ Maybe I have seen the light. _

_ But it’s certainly not the light that they wanted to me see. _

_ I know a way to make sure these teams appear exactly as ridiculous as they are to everyone else. _

**SHUJI:** Yeah, I’ll join your team.

**PV** : Really?

**SHUJI** : On a condition. 

**AIKA** : Condition?

**SHUJI** : Noriko has some good ideas too, after all--

**AIKA** : You’d side with a murderer rather than us?

**SHUJI** : So I think I need something as a tie-breaker. Just to be fair, you know?

**KINOSUKE** : [Excited] Tie breaker? Elaborate!

**SHUJI** : [Shrugs] Well, I was thinking of ways to prove each team really has what it takes to lead the group. A competition, you know?

**PV** : I’m not sure about this…

**SHUJI** : Naturally I’d be the judge, and Kinosuke could help since he’s not any team either, and you guys would pretty much be competing for my membership.

_ I pause. This sounds ridiculous coming out of my mouth, but I’m trying to play it cool.  _

_ PV looks doubtful. _

**PV** : A competition?

_ I need to say something to convince them… _

**SHUJI** : It’s okay if you don’t want to. Noriko already agreed, so…

_ Their eyes light up, and they look feverishly at the other members of their team. Kyo and Heiji nod, Aika shrugs, Kenichi doesn’t really react. _

**PV** : We’re in. 

**KINOSUKE** : Oh my god. I’m so excited.

**SHUJI** : I’ll need some time to figure out the details of the competitions, but we can start tonight after dinner if you want!

_ By which I mean I need to tell Noriko about this and convince her to actually agree to it.  _

_ Kinosuke and I head out as the rest of Team PV resets the sitting room and takes their snacks elsewhere.  _

**KINOSUKE** : So what was that all about? Competitions? Tie breakers? You, telling lies?

**SHUJI** : It won’t be a lie for long!

**KINOSUKE** : It’s true, it’s super easy to get Noriko to do anything competitive. 

**SHUJI** : Oh yeah?

_ As we head upstairs, Kinosuke stretches out his arms and places his hands on his head. _

**KINOSUKE** : Oh yeah. She’ll do anything if it’s a fair competition. All second year the entire class was trying to get her to refuse one. We started out with stuff sort of tangentially related to knight stuff, but by the time autumn was coming around we started with stuff like baking competitions, wall running competitions, lock picking competitions…

**SHUJI** : Did she ever say no?

**KINOSUKE** : Not once. She didn’t mind failing, usually, as long as there was a judge to make things fair. 

**SHUJI** : Oh thank god. I was worried I’d have to come up with more lies, and I am not great at those.

**KINOSUKE** : Better than I thought you were, anyway!

**SHUJI** : Hey, I guess I lied enough at Hope’s Peak to get scooped up with the rest of them.

**KINOSUKE** : You got me there! C’mon, let’s go convince Noriko to--

_ We pause outside the doors of the library. _

**KINOSUKE** : Say, what kind of competition are you talking about?

_ I blink. _

**SHUJI** : [Deadpan] I was thinking leapfrog.

**KINOSUKE** : Word?

**SHUJI** : But they have to jump over obstacles maybe? 

**KINOSUKE** : Obstacles besides each other?

**SHUJI** : [Squinting] ...Y-yeah. 

**KINOSUKE** : Do you know how to play leapfrog, dude?

**SHUJI** : To be fair, I have not played it in many years. But neither has anyone else, so we can reinvent it as we see fit.

_ Kinosuke grins at me, his eyes lighting up. _

**KINOSUKE** : I am 100% on board with whatever the hell you’re planning. I will break out all of my diversion skills to make sure you pull this off.

**SHUJI** : You’re a good friend.

_ With that, we open the library. It looks like Noriko’s meeting has wrapped up, since she and Yui are the only ones left in here. Boldly, I march forward. _

**YUI** : You’re back.

_ Noriko look up from the notes from the meeting (I’m guessing) to see me and smiles politely. _

**NORIKO** : What’s up?

**SHUJI** : Well, Pure Virtual and I were talking--

_ Her polite smile turns into a firm frown. I have to press on anyway. _

**SHUJI** : And I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a way for me to join your team.

_ The frown is gone as quickly as it came. Noriko puts down the document she was looking at and comes around the table to approach me. _

**NORIKO** : I’m glad you’ve seen reason--

**KINOSUKE** : He’s not done explaining, just listen for a minute.

**SHUJI** : Thanks, Kinosuke. I think both teams have really good points, so there needs to be a way to mediate between them.

**YUI** : A meeting of some kind?

_ I shake my head. _

**SHUJI** : You know it would descend into fighting immediately. What I had in mind was something of a tie breaker. A competition, or series of them in case of another tie, to determine which team I should join.

_ I take a breath to keep explaining why this is a good, logical thing to do, but Noriko’s eyes are already lit up. _

**NORIKO** : What kind of competitions?

**SHUJI** : I’m still working on that, but I’ll be the judge of each of them to see who did best. Kinosuke will be there to mediate as well since he’s not gonna have any biases.

**YUI** : This sounds--

**NORIKO** : I’m in.

**YUI** : Really?

**SHUJI** : Great! Oh, and, unrelated, do either of you know the rules of leapfrog?

**YUI** : The first participant rests their hands on knees and bends over, which is called giving a back. The next player places hands on the first's back and leaps over by straddling legs wide apart on each side. On landing they should stoop down and a third leaps over the first and second, and the fourth over all others successively. When all the players are stooping, the last in the line begins leaping over all the others in turn.

**SHUJI** : Cool, just testing you. Obviously I knew all of that.

**YUI** : ...Okay.

**SHUJI** : We’ll be meeting after supper and start the competitions then!

_ I pivot on my heel and leave the library before they can reply. This is going better than expected. And also worse. Leapfrog has so many rules I didn’t know about. I’m really not sure what I thought that game was, but now I’ve committed, so it’s time to make good on my promise. _

_ I lead Kinosuke up to the ballroom; one of the only areas with a ton of open space for this sort of thing. _

**KINOSUKE** : So, you know how to play leapfrog now?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, but we’re gonna fuck it up real good so nobody can win.

**KINOSUKE** : [Delighted] Oh??

**SHUJI** : This whole thing is to prove that the teams are stupid. So I’m gonna make them feel as stupid as they look, picking sides like this. I just wish we had balloons…

**KINOSUKE** : I love your brain. Let me help!

**SHUJI** : Sure! I’m thinking we make a really arbitrary point system for starters…

**KINOSUKE** : Okay! Let’s have it be a race, so they’re trying to get from one side of the ballroom to the other.

**SHUJI** : Sure! Do you know how to play music?

**KINOSUKE** : No!

**SHUJI** : You know what, it doesn’t matter. I can do scales, so I’ll just do that.

**KINOSUKE** : PLEASE explain! I am so excited to hear whatever the hell you’re about to say.

**SHUJI** : They can only move while I’m playing music. When there’s silence, they have to stop, and we dock points for movement.

**KINOSUKE** : God yes.

**SHUJI** : And every time someone jumps over their team mate they have to...uhhh…

**KINOSUKE** : They have to say a fact about whoever they’re jumping over!

**SHUJI** : Yes!! And when they get to the finish line they have to sing a song!

**KINOSUKE** : Which we’ll be judging as well?

**SHUJI** : Naturally!

**KINOSUKE** : Naturally!

_ Kinosuke laughs that delighted laugh of his, and I join in. Things have been serious for a very long time, which makes sense given the gravity of our situation, but I’ve definitely missed the opportunity to just goof off. Although I don’t remember everything I should know about Kinosuke, it feels natural falling right back into friendship with him. _

_ We spend some time perilously moving the banquet tables to create starting and finish lines for the leap frog race, and then head down for supper. _

_ We can barely contain our excitement as we meet with some of the others in the kitchen and dining room. I’m sure we get strange looks as we whisper to each other and laugh, planning future competitions, but nobody interrupts us. _

_ Finally, everyone is gathered in the dining room expectantly. _

**ROXXY** : I heard there was gonna be, like, a test?

**ISEI** : Yeah, what’s all this about?

**SHUJI** : You’ll find out in a minute! Come upstairs with me, we’re going to the ballroom! I hope nobody overate.

**ROXXY** : If this is a PE test I’m SO getting an A!

**KYO** : I think it’s more of a competition than a test.

**ROXXY** : Then I’m gonna win!

**KINOSUKE** : I think Shuji’ll be the judge of that.

**ROXXY** : What, like, literally?

**KINOSUKE** : Liter--oh. Yeah.

**FUMI** : [Giggling] She beat you to it!

**HEIJI** : But she won’t beat our team at these competitions!!

**FUMI** : Oh, you’re in for it! She’s gonna thwomp you!

**KENICHI** : Th...womp?

**SHUJI** : Come on, guys! You’ll see soon enough who will be thwomping whom.

**YUI** : While I appreciate the skillful use of ‘whom,’ I do think I would like more details about this.

**SHUJI** : ‘Whoms’ aside, I’ll tell you when we get there! Come onnnn!

_ It’s like herding cats, getting everyone up all the stairs without answering any questions. The competitions ahead are a bag of cat treats I’m crinkling, but some of these kitties are alley cats who don’t know what lies in the treat bag. _

_ It’s mostly, like, salmon, right? That’s what goes in cat treats? _

_ I finally get everyone into the ballroom, where they can appreciate the redecoration Kinosuke and I labored over. _

**PV** : Shuji, what is this?

_ I take a deep breath, and project as best I can as I deliver the line Kinosuke and I established. _

**SHUJI** : LEAP FROG TWO THOUSAND!!

**PV** : And this is...to determine which team you ideologically align with?

**SHUJI** : It’s to determine a lot of things.

**YUI** : I’m not sure about this…

**SHUJI** : So, at first you may think this is a normal game of leapfrog, as we all played as children, but there’s more to this!

_ I launch into the rules with gusto. They feel even sillier as I say them to the group, which is honestly ideal. _

**LEAP FROG TWO THOUSAND RULES AND WINNING STRATEGY**

  1. You must leap frog over the line of your teammates in the direction of the finish line.
  2. For every team mate you leap over, you must state a fact about them.
  3. You may only leap when music is playing. You may only MOVE when music is playing.
  4. Upon reaching the finish line, you must sing a song. It doesn’t matter which song.
  5. The game is a race, but it is also a point accumulation game.
  6. In order to win, your team must have the best time in the race, but also the most points..
  7. You gain 10 points every leap.
  8. You gain 10 points for every fact you can deliver about your team.
  9. You LOSE 5 points if the fact is something that everyone already knows.
  10. You LOSE 10 points for moving when no music is playing.
  11. You gain 5 points for leaping in interesting or creative ways.
  12. You may gain or lose points at any time according to the judge.
  13. Your song at the end will earn or forfeit hundreds of points depending on quality and creativity.



_ I see confusion on their faces, I see doubt, I see Kyo barely able to contain laughter at all of this. Maybe this is enough, I think for a moment. Maybe this will convince them that the teams are bad and they won’t even have to play! _

**PV** : Shuji...This all seems…

**NORIKO** : Are you quitting?

**PV** : What?

**NORIKO** : Are you going to forfeit this match?

**PV** : No!

**KENICHI** : Seriously? You’re gonna play this stupid game?

**PV** : What? I--

**NORIKO** : Of course, you can always bow out. It’s the honorable thing when you’re faced with a game you can’t win, after all.

_ PV scowls. _

**PV** : We’re in. We’re playing.

**AIKA** : God, this is textbook.

**KENICHI** : ...Is it? Is it textbook?

**AIKA** : Sorry, I should have clarified. I could write a textbook about this.

**FUMI** : And...are we in as well?

**NORIKO** : We can win! Don’t worry, everyone. It’s in my code to always accept an honorably proposed competition.

**HEIJI** : Oh man, this is gonna be something else!

**SHUJI** : Is everyone ready to play? You can decide your leaping order now, if you want.

_ Calling what ensues after this point ‘chaos’ just demonstrates a failure to appreciate how messy it is. First of all, the turn order takes almost a full 20 minutes to decide between the teams. Noriko settles into a strategic meeting with Yui and Isei about their order, and while PV’s team is less organized, they certainly are able to figure out who should be jumping over whom much quicker.  _

_ Once I settle behind the keyboard of the piano, the race starts. But it’s only once they realize I can only play scales that the game truly begins. Not just scales; one handed scales. My other hand is too messed up and broken to be helpful here, so they’re not even  _ good _ scales. _

_ C D E STOP! _

_ I look up, and Roxxy is poised halfway over Yui’s scrunched form with one foot in the air. Aika has just barely gotten into a hunched position. I can’t help but smile. Kinosuke gives me a thumbs up. _

_ C D E F G A-- _

**ROXXY:** Yui loves romance novels!

**KENICHI:** Aika uuhh has never had a boyfriend!

**AIKA:** Hey!

**ISEI:** Yui hates Kyo’s grandmother! Roxxy’s mom used to be a model! 

**YUI** : How do you even know that?!

**HEIJI:** Aika is secretly nice! Kata’s real name is Kenichi! 

**FUMI:** Yui doesn’t know how to swim! Roxxy never got diagnosed with ADHD! Isei’s uhhh tall?! No! Um!

_ STOP! _

_ I look up to reassess. _

_ Noriko’s line of hunched people is definitely longer, but PV’s team seems to be attempting to catch up. Fumi is mid-scrunch, trying to get onto the floor, while Noriko is poised to vault over all of them. Kyo has one leg in the air, ready to leap over Aika. _

**KINOSUKE:** I’m taking off quite a few points for stuff everyone already knows...And Heiji, you can’t just lie to try to make up stuff nobody knows.

**HEIJI:** I thought Aika might really be nice! It was a guess.

_ Aika snorts from her position on the floor. _

**NORIKO:** What’s the score?

**SHUJI:** That’s a secret until the end!

_ I absolutely have not been keeping score, and I’m pretty sure Kinosuke is just making up numbers, but that’s the ideal. _

_ I start experimenting with things other than scales on the piano. I start with chopsticks, and then I try to channel my inner jazz pianist. It isn’t pretty, but it is arguably art. I look up from the keys to see the chaos unfurling on the ballroom floor and I grin to myself. Maybe the piano isn’t art, but this has to be, right? _

**NORIKO:** Yui loves to be picked up! Roxxy always has painted nails so she doesn’t bite them! Fumi knows how to sew! Isei was raised by his aunt! Hup!

_ God, she really is impressive. _

**KYO:** Aika is adopted! Kenichi is friends with Yui’s little sister!

**YUI:** He is?!

**KYO:** Heiji is good at math! Go, PV, go!

_ I’m actually learning things about people from this. _

_ PV is, naturally, not to be outdone by Noriko. They put their long legs to use and easily pass over everyone, much faster than everyone else on their team. _

**PV:** Aika fears intimacy and projects that! Kenichi is trustworthy despite it all! Heiji is the nicest person I’ve ever met! Kyo can’t resist returning a favor! Aika, go!

_ It continues like this as they reach the finish line, occasionally freezing in place as I lift my fingers from the cacophony I’m creating with the grand piano. Kinosuke paces around the piano, watching them carefully, squinting as though he’s keeping track of something in his head.  _

_ Finally, Noriko’s team reaches the finish line.  _

**NORIKO:** Yes!

**ROXXY:** You gotta sing a song!!

**NORIKO:** Right! Um! A song…? I...

**FUMI:** Oh no she’s blanking!

**YUI:** You’ve got this!

_ Noriko spreads her arms and lifts her head, scrunching her face as she tries to conjure up song lyrics. _

**NORIKO:** ...Taste of your lips I’m on a ride / You’re toxic I’m slipping up / with a taste of poison paradise / I’m addicted to you don’t you know that you’re toxic…

_ Her singing voice is deeper than expected, and she’s pretty hesitant, but it actually is pretty good. Her face is bright red. _

**ISEI:** Oh my god?

**KYO:** You know Britney Spears, but you’ve never heard of Taylor Swift?!

**NORIKO:** A-am I done?

**PV:** It’s our turn!

_ I hadn’t even noticed PV reach the finish line while Noriko froze. They’ve been standing with their arms crossed impatiently. _

**YUI:** Why bother? We won the race?

**PV:** There’s points to win too!

**KINOSUKE:** Shuji? Should they get to perform as well?

**SHUJI:** There’s no way on earth I’m missing this. Please, go ahead.

**HEIJI:** Did you already have a song in mind?

_ PV sweeps their arm out performatively at their small audience before breaking into song. _

**PV:** We’re no strangers to love! You know the rules, and so do I…

_ They drop to one knee, miming holding a microphone in one hand. _

**PV:** A full commitment’s what I’m thinking of! You wouldn’t get this from any other guy…

_ PV’s team starts clapping rhythmically with the song. PV looks up at their audience, their face mournful. _

**PV:** I just gotta tell you how I’m feeling… Gotta make you understand…

_ They leap up to their feet, spinning before delivering the iconic chorus and delivering it with gusto unprecedented. _

**PV:** Never gonna give you up / Never gonna let you down! Never gonna run around and desert you!

_ Unlike Noriko, who only did the chorus that she could remember, PV performs the entire song. They’re more animated than I’ve ever seen them, winking and grinning at their team and looking mournful and determined at Noriko’s team. Every now and then, they whirl to face Kinosuke and I, reaching out with a hand while never relinquishing their imaginary microphone. _

_ It’s all I can do not to cry from pure joy. _

_ I clap once the performance is done, wiping a faux tear from my eye. _

**ROXXY:** Not gonna lie, that was incredible.

**YUI:** Where is your team loyalty?

**ROXXY:** [Shrugs] I’m supes loyal! But I’m also loyal to a good performance, you know? It’s in my blood!

**KYO:** That performance had to be worth a lot!

**KINOSUKE:** I’m having so much fun. The fact that we’d never have seen this otherwise almost justifies a killing game.

**KENICHI:** The Host’s motive, finally revealed...they just wanted to hear a rendition of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up…

**HEIJI:** Man, we’re totally gonna win!

**NORIKO:** You guys came in last in the race though! There’s no way you’re going to win!

**AIKA:** Classic, putting all your points in the physical aspect…

**PV:** Well? Who won? Whose team are you going to join?

_ Kinosuke and I approach each other to pretend to confer on the results. _

**KINOSUKE:** (That was pretty great.)

**SHUJI:** (This is totally going according to plan, and what’s even better news is I came up with another challenge for tomorrow.)

**KINOSUKE:** (Should we come up with their fake points?)

**SHUJI:** (Sure, just say an arbitrary number and give it to both of them.)

**KINOSUKE:** Okay, we’ve arrived at the conclusion for the competition…

_ Noriko and PV look very stressed out, leaning forward eagerly. _

**KINOSUKE:** Noriko...your team got 5,000 points from winning the race and stating facts… While PV’s team only got 100 points...

**NORIKO:** YES!

**SHUJI:** However! When taking into account the performance at the end…

**KINOSUKE:** PV was able to make up the difference with that performance, while Noriko lost points for only doing the chorus. The total brings us to...PV at 3,500 points, and Noriko at 3,500 points. It’s a tie.

**NORIKO:** I lost THAT many points?!

**PV:** A good performance really does count…

**YUI:** So you won’t be joining either team, I take it?

**SHUJI:** Sadly, with a tie I can’t. But, there’s a silver lining! I have a new challenge in mind for tomorrow around lunch!

**KYO:** Good! Team PV will totally trounce you next time!

**ROXXY:** Aw, they think because they’re the underdogs they’re gonna win! It’s like, almost cute. Almost. In a sad way.

**HEIJI:** Fumi, sis, I’m starting to think Roxxy might be too competitive for you to hang out with…

**FUMI:** As if! We’ll have your heads on pikes when we’re done with you!!

**HEIJI:** Yeah, uh, see what I mean?

**FUMI:** Oh, wow, yeah, that was intense…

**AIKA:** I like the ferocity! You can hardly put our heads on pikes if you keep losing points for having no style, hmm?

_ While the teams bicker, at each other’s throats, I mostly just watch. I can’t wait to see how they react to the next one--But my train of thought is interrupted by Isei breaking away from Noriko’s team. _

**ISEI:** Hey, dude.

**SHUJI:** What’s up? What did you think of the challenge?

**ISEI:** It was really, really fun. That was hilarious, with the songs at the end, and it was nice getting to goof off for a while.

_ I grin at him, and he smiles hesitantly back, but keeps talking. _

**ISEI:** But I’m not sure about having another challenge. I don’t think this competitiveness is gonna help…

**SHUJI:** Isei, do you still want me to join Noriko’s team?

**ISEI:** Well, yeah. I think this is the right path, and I want you to be by my side when we make big decisions, you know?

**KINOSUKE:** Then you still don’t see the point, bro. 

**ISEI:** Don’t call me bro. I don’t know you.

**KINOSUKE:** I’m just saying, Shuji’s got a motive for all of this and if you can’t see it, you haven’t really earned his support.

**ISEI:** ...I see.

**SHUJI:** Hey, don’t worry! I think this is gonna bring us all closer. Do you like spicy food?

**ISEI:** Okay, that was a non sequitur. Sure. I like spicy food.

**SHUJI:** Then you have nothing to worry about about tomorrow!

**ISEI:** Shuji, I--

**THE FEY:** It’s 10 PM BABIES!! Your suites have been unlocked, and it’s time to get some shut eye! Or, you know, shut someone else’s eyes. Get it? Like murder? I really can’t stress this enough, but I want you to kill each other. In case that wasn’t clear.

_ Noriko’s team straightens on cue, looking to their leader. _

**NORIKO:** Alright, it’s time for bed. Let’s head to the suites together.

_ They all move to leave, and Isei gives me a half hearted wave over his shoulder.  _

**PV:** What babies...they just do whatever she says, huh?

**AIKA:** I’m glad you’re not banishing us to bed time right at night time announcement.

**KYO:** Seriously, who does that? Is she their mom?

**KENICHI:** Hey, Shuji, Fukuoka-san. Do you guys need help putting the ballroom back?

**HEIJI:** I’ll help!

_ From there, the group devolves. A handful of them descend into mocking Noriko’s team, while the rest help Kinosuke and I put things basically back where they were. Once that is done, I’m feeling pretty tired, so I end up going to my room anyway. I feel like I ought to be rebelling from Noriko’s rules, for no particular reason other than that I’m not on her team, but I typically go to bed around this time anyway. _

_ Ugh, this whole team nonsense is getting to my head. I’m overthinking every decision I make.  _

_ I collapse into bed. _

_ If I can get everyone to realize how silly these teams are, then we can adopt stuff from both sides. Honesty about the motives? That’s good. Having some rules to protect against violence? That’s good. Having mutual trust between the group? That’s good. _

_ As I drift off to sleep, I think of the charter I’d write if I had my own team. Rule One: Teams are Dumb. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll stay to what I originally planned and update next Monday as well, on the 8th like I promised, and then we're going back to two weeks a pop. 
> 
> I've been in a bit of a writing slump lately, but don't worry, it won't affect the update schedule since I'm in the middle of writing chapter 5 already. Since we're getting pretty close to the violent part of the chapter, I'd be really happy to hear any predictions for chapter 4 specifically! Who do you think isn't gonna make it to chapter 5? 
> 
> A lot of people's secrets also go unsaid in this, so I'd be interested to hear guesses as far as other secrets too ;)
> 
> I'll see you next Monday! If you like/are neutral to/hate Cornucopia of Hope, I'd love to hear from you in the comments or in the discord server! Seriously, even if you're gonna be mean about it, I'm down to listen.


	39. Chapter Four: Phoenix (6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuji rocks the group with another party game to show them how dumb these teams are, and more secrets are revealed!

**THE FEY:** It’s 7 AM and if you don’t want another punishment, heh, well you could always kill someone. If you haven’t actively taken the life of a classmate yet, however, report to the foyer for Fun Time!

_ Ugh. This is not fun time. _

_ I learned my lesson from last time, though, and after quickly changing into daytime clothes I shuffle out of my room. I almost forget to grab my bag on the way out in my hurry, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s going to be forgetting things in their rush to get out the door. _

_ Looking around the foyer, it looks like everyone else learned their lesson too. There’s a lot of tired, tense faces surrounding me. Surprisingly, PV’s hair isn’t even a triangle. They must have rushed out before doing their hair, which is a shock to me. _

**THE FEY:** Wow it’s almost like you guys listen to me! Why do I have to threaten you for you to listen?

**KYO:** Because we hate you?

**ROXXY:** Like, duh?

**THE FEY:** Well, that’s fair.

_ Without another word, the wheel begins spinning. _

_ Oh fuck. Here we go again. _

_ My heart pounds in my chest as I watch it slow down, ticking closer and closer to my name. _

_ I’m standing closer to it, this time, and I can see each name flick past. _

_ Click. Aika… Click. PV… Click. Masanori--what was his secret, I wonder… Click. Roxxy… Click… My name. _

_ It stops on my name and time seems to slow. I can’t volunteer a secret if I can’t think of anything, can I? Am I going to be responsible for someone losing a limb? I open my mouth helplessly, not knowing what I’m about to say-- _

_ Click. Isei. _

**SHUJI:** What?

**ISEI:** I volunteer! 

_ He jumps up and glares at The Fey enough that she actually backs up a few inches. _

**THE FEY:** You can’t volunteer!

**ISEI:** Sure I can. You didn’t say anywhere in the rules that we had to do it before the wheel spun. I’m willingly giving up my secret to negate punishment.

**THE FEY:** ...Grumble…

**YUI:** She said ‘grumble’ aloud... 

**KENICHI:** If you fail to clarify the rules, you’re responsible for misinterpretation. This is entirely your fault, and you need to give him his due.

**THE FEY:** As if I’d listen to you, dead-boy! I can do what I want, I’m your GOD here and--

**KENICHI:** I know your code. You can’t break rules you’ve set, and you set the rule that if someone volunteers, the punishment is voided. 

**THE FEY:** FUCK!

**ISEI:** Fuck is right! Give me my secret!

**THE FEY:** Fine! But this is a one time thing! I’m amending the goddamn rules. You are such a spoilsport. I bet that’s what your secret is. That you never let anyone else have any fun because you’re such a fucking goody two shoes!

_ Isei wordlessly glares at her, and takes the slip of paper that was spit out by the wheel. _

**ISEI:** “Isei Soga was almost tried for arson, but used his connections with his aunt and the police force to avoid any charge.” There.

**THE FEY:** I’m still spinning the punishment wheel.

**SHUJI:** But--

**THE FEY:** I THINK IT’S FUN, ALRIGHT? GET OFF MY DICK!!

_ She aggressively spins the wheel, making an angry face at all of us. _

**THE FEY:** Aw...I really like this one...you all love ruining my fun… “The person who rolled this will have their front teeth pulled in 3 days if a murder is not committed.”

**ISEI:** [Covering his mouth with his hand] ...

**HEIJI:** Jeez…

**KINOSUKE:** Soga-san would be nowhere near as pretty without those teeth…

**NORIKO:** I don’t think he’s worried about his looks, at this point, Fukuoka-san. It doesn’t matter, either way, since he volunteered. Thank you, Isei. We really appreciate it.

**YUI:** Note that none of the other team saw fit to volunteer despite their whole modality of trust… Perhaps their secrets are worse.

**AIKA:** So what did you burn down?

**FUMI:** Arson is pretty bad, Isei…

**KENICHI:** It’s no murder, though.

**ROXXY:** Psh, at least he has like, human empathy.

**NORIKO:** We’re going to continue to support our teammate. 

**KYO:** Why? Ohh..I get it. He lied and used connections to get out of something, just like you, Noriko!

**YUI:** Don’t talk to her like that.

**SHUJI** : Stop! Stop fighting like this!

**KINOSUKE:** Seriously, guys, leave it for the challenges.

**SHUJI:** Ugh. I’m getting breakfast.

**NORIKO:** Breakfast is a good idea. Team, once we’re finished eating, I’d like to convene in the library for another strategy meeting, if at all possible.

**PV:** We’re not having a meeting, you guys can do what you want. I’ll see all of you around lunch for the challenge.

**SHUJI:** Meet us in the dining room, I guess.

_ Breakfast is...awkward. Noriko’s group stays clustered together, while PV’s group spreads out and talks animatedly about how glad they are that they trust each other not to have committed any violent crimes. As Noriko’s team finishes up and starts to leave, I step forward and grab Isei’s arm. _

**ISEI:** What do you want?

**SHUJI:** I don’t know what the...the arson thing was about. I don’t really care. I trust you to tell me about it when you’re comfortable with it, okay? This doesn’t change how I think about you.

_ His frown softens, and his grey eyes avoid mine. _

**ISEI:** I...thanks. I figured my secret would be something to do with that anyway, but...I’ve gotta go to the meeting. We can talk about it later.

**SHUJI:** Sure. You can update me on whatever you guys talk about later too, if you want.

**ISEI:** Yeah. I’ll see you at lunch.

_ With that, he leaves. I stay rooted in spot, looking after him as he goes. I don’t really know what to think. Arson is a big deal, and using connections to get out of it feels shady, but I know Isei. He’s a good guy, even if he tries to look tough. I wonder how much about him I really know, though, after all of this. _

_ I guess I’d like to know him better. _

**KINOSUKE:** So, what was your plan for the challenge?

_ Kinosuke’s voice snaps me out of my thoughtful reverie. _

**SHUJI:** Oh! Actually, let’s go to the kitchen.

**KINOSUKE:** A cooking competition?

**SHUJI:** I don’t want them to burn down the whole mansion! We’re gonna cook for them, though.

**KINOSUKE:** God, your brain is something else.

**SHUJI:** I didn’t want them all to be physical challenges, cuz then Noriko and Roxxy are bound to win every time. So this one’s a little more cerebral.

**KINOSUKE:** Go on…

**SHUJI:** Come on, we need to make sure the kitchen has everything I need.

_ The next few hours slip by quickly as we find the resources we need and I explain the rules of the challenge. As with last time, Kinosuke is visibly delighted as I go into more and more details. By the time it’s around lunch time, we’ve got a pot on the stove and several plates covered in napkins so that our test subjects--I mean, contestants--won’t see what’s in store for them. _

_ I step out into the dining room, my sleeves rolled up and my eyes watering slightly, and am glad to see that some people are already here. _

**HEIJI:** Hey bro!

**KYO:** Are you...crying?

**SHUJI:** Haha, nope! You’ll see. 

**KYO:** Okay, that’s pretty concerning, but I trust you.

//Aika enters.

**AIKA:** You do? With your life?

**KYO:** Apparently! Isn’t that exciting?

**AIKA:** Exciting. Sure. I saw Pure Virtual in the hallway, they said they’ll be here in a few minutes.

**HEIJI:** Any idea what they’re up to?

**AIKA:** Didn’t ask.

**KYO:** If I had to guess, it would be trying to eavesdrop on Noriko’s meeting.

**HEIJI:** Haha, yeah. Their obsession with the other team is a real downer.

_ Kyo nods sagely in response as Kenichi enters the room. Heiji walks over to him and slaps his hand around, in what appears to be some kind of handshake that Kenichi is vaguely confused about. _

**KINOSUKE:** Are you two tight now?

**HEIJI:** I don’t know about tight, but we’re trying.

**KENICHI:** Heiji figured I could do with some friends.

**KYO:** Makes sense. The whole point of PV’s perspective is that we should try to trust each other, and maybe he won’t go crazy and fake his death again if he likes us.

**KENICHI:** ...Thanks.

**SHUJI:** Heiji, you’re a really nice person.

**HEIJI:** Nah, thank PV. They gave me the idea!

_ As if on cue, PV enters the room. _

**PV:** Oh good! Everyone’s here!

**KINOSUKE:** Been spying?

**PV:** Spying? No.

**AIKA** : What kept you, then?

**PV:** I was fixing my hair. [Sadly.] Since we rushed to get to the motive this morning, I lacked my usual composure...It does take some time and several tools to get it like this.

**HEIJI:** That’s not natural?

**KYO:** You didn’t think--

**HEIJI:** I just assumed it was greasy. Or French…?

**KENICHI:** [Laughing] Heiji...

_ Biting my lip to keep back laughter, I clap my hands to get their attention. _

**SHUJI:** Okay, once Noriko’s group shows up we’ll start.

**PV:** Can you tell us about the challenge?

**SHUJI:** Nope!

**KYO:** Is it a dance contest?

**HEIJI:** Maybe it’s riddles!

**KYO:** Or push ups?

_ The next few minutes are spent with Heiji and Kyo guessing what the challenge could potentially be, with Kenichi making a wry addition every once in a while. I lean against the door to the kitchen, watching Kenichi in particular. His coloration seems a little bit better, less like he’s perpetually haunted by his past, and there’s the hint of a smile on his lips as he listens to Heiji and Kyo. His orange eyes are brighter, less judgemental.  _

_ I still don’t know if I like him. Every time I think about what happened to Lani, I speculate about punching him again. Still, he really does seem to be trying. He saved Isei from a punishment this morning, and he’s engaging with people like an actual human.  _

_ My train of thought is interrupted by Noriko’s entire team coming in. _

**ROXXY:** Sorry we’re late!

**FUMI:** The meeting ran over a little bit.

**NORIKO:** Timeliness is usually something I value, I deeply apologize.

**SHUJI:** It’s not like we set a specific time or anything!

**AIKA:** I guess they were busy inventing laws.

**YUI:** I can understand why you’d be afraid of the concept of following rules, Aika. You’re unable to follow even the most basic laws of decency.

**AIKA:** [Shrugging.] What can I say? I know how to party.

**ROXXY:** As if you’d ever get invited to a party!

**KYO:** Yeah, I’m sure the parties you throw are great. The murderers and arsonists in attendance really break records.

**FUMI:** Oh shut up! Kenichi is super responsible for Lani’s death, so he’s bad! Bad record! Ugh, I mean, he’s got a bad record too!

**HEIJI:** And he’s trying to do better! So is PV! Isn’t trying the best we can ask of them?

**ISEI:** So you’ll accept it when your own are bad people, but draw the line at Noriko and I?

**KENICHI:** And you’re willing to trust Noriko, a self-admitted murderer, but not extend that trust to everyone else?

_ Neutrally, while everyone fights, I open the door to the kitchen. _

_ And slam it. _

_ Everyone looks at me. _

**SHUJI** : [Neutral.] Are you done?

**NORIKO** : I agree. This fighting is petty and not worth our time.

**PV** : Let’s just do this challenge and finish this once and for all.

**KINOSUKE** : Uhh hey everyone! Let’s go into the kitchen! Things are all ready for you!

_ I wordlessly go into the kitchen, so angry I don’t trust myself with words. This is tearing the group apart, and I can’t stand it, so I’m just not going to think about it until it’s resolved. _

_ I stand in front of the plates covered in mysteries and try not to glare at everyone as they file in. _

**HEIJI** : Oh dip, what smells so good?

**SHUJI** : Yesterday’s challenge was about performance and physical ability. With this one, you’ll have to use your head.

**KYO** : It IS riddles!

**KINOSUKE** : Not quite!

**SHUJI** : Today, we’re going to see how well we know each other. Kinosuke and I have compiled facts about each other’s careers, families, and preferences. You’ll have to answer questions about the opposite team as well as about myself.

**PV** : Oh, we’ve got this one.

**HEIJI** : Kenichi is our ace in the sleeve!

**KINOSUKE** : However!

**SHUJI** : However, for each fact you don’t know, or you guess wrong, you’ll have to eat a progressively spicier pepper.

_ I whip the napkins off of the plates, revealing the peppers hidden beneath. _

**ROXXY** : Ha! Well, I can handle THAT!

**FUMI** : Pure Virtual is screwed…

**SHUJI** : No more cross-talk. The game is beginning.

**NORIKO** : Wait, how are we scored?

**KINOSUKE** : Speed, dexterity, how well you handle the spice, as well as style as usual. 

**NORIKO** : [Nodding as if that makes sense] I see.

**SHUJI** : I also made a curry. It’s a high-level treat for anyone who can handle it.

**KINOSUKE** : I helped! Okay, so, round one…

**SHUJI** : Pure Virtual, what is the name of Noriko’s mentor?

**PV** : I...uh…

_ Their eyes widen in clear panic. _

**PV** : Um. I...Is it…?

**KINOSUKE** : Sorry, your time is up! It’s pepper time.

_ I reach out and pick the least spicy pepper. _

**FUMI** : Aw, it’s just a bell pepper. 

_ PV hesitantly takes it from me, and takes a bite out of it. _

**SHUJI** : Next. Noriko, what does Pure Virtual’s best friend do for a living?

**NORIKO** : I don’t know how I could know that.

**KINOSUKE** : Talking to them, maybe?

**NORIKO** : Fine. I’ll guess. Socialite?

**KINOSUKE** : Womp womp! That’s wrong. 

**ISEI** : Should you tell us the correct answers when people get it wrong?

**KINOSUKE** : Huh?

**ISEI** : If this is supposed to help us get to know each other, it might help to actually learn things about each other.

**KINOSUKE** : Oh, uh…

**ISEI** : Or do you not know the answers either, Fukuoka-kun?

**SHUJI** : Noriko’s mentor is named Nori, and PV’s friend is in the wine business. It’s time for Noriko to eat a pepper.

_ I select the next pepper: a pepperoncini. I’m really lucky this kitchen was equipped with a wide pepper selection.  _

_ Noriko eats it easily, glaring at PV. _

**SHUJI** : Isei, how many siblings does Kyo have?

**ISEI** : None.

**KINOSUKE** : Oh that one’s correct. No spicy pepper for this little boy.

_ Isei rolls his eyes. _

**SHUJI** : Kyo, what instrument can Isei play?

**KYO** : I genuinely cannot believe you just knew all of this about us off the top of your head.

**ISEI** : Well I can tell you that that isn’t the right answer.

**SHUJI** : It’s not hard to...just talk to each other? I just found this stuff out by talking to you. Anyway, yeah, that was wrong.

_ Kyo eats a poblano pepper and winces slightly as they get a mouthful of seeds, but keeps a straight face. _

**SHUJI** : Aika, what is Fumi’s--

**AIKA** : Spiders.

**FUMI** : What?

**AIKA** : I don’t know, I guessed. There’s gotta be spiders somewhere in your backstory.

**SHUJI** : What is Fumi’s son’s name?

**AIKA** : What, you’re gonna tell me it isn’t spiders? Typical.

**KINOSUKE** : You are the most fascinating person I’ve ever met, and now it’s time for you to eat a pepper.

_ Yeah, that was bewildering. I toss her a jalapeno. She eats it without flinching, presumably making eye contact with me. _

**FUMI** : It’s Hisato, for the record. Not...spiders...

**SHUJI** : Fumi, how old was Aika when she got her first lab?

**FUMI** : Like, dog?

**KINOSUKE** : Like laboratory.

**FUMI** : Oh, it’s gotta be something totally ridiculous, right? Like, 10. Ten years old.

**AIKA** : Wow, that’s actually pretty close.

**KINOSUKE** : No dice! I actually know that one, she was thirteen.

_ I hand Fumi a pepper that was in a jar labeled “serano.” She takes a bite, and shivers. They’re getting hotter. _

**SHUJI** : Roxxy--

**ROXXY** : I’ve got this! I can do it!

**FUMI** : You can do it!

**ROXXY** : Hit me!

**SHUJI** : Roxxy, what is a Kata Ama game centered around cowboys?

**ROXXY** : Awwh…

**KINOSUKE** : You don’t know it?

**ROXXY** : No, like, I do know it. It’s just an easy one. I wanted to eat a pepper! It’s Heart Acre.

**KENICHI** : Wow, do you play my games?

**ROXXY** : No, but I like, know how to listen when people talk? C’mon.

**SHUJI** : That’s right! Kenichi, your turn. How does Roxxy cheer up her dancers when they’re feeling insecure about their appearances?

**KENICHI** : Makeovers? Or shopping? Something like that?

**ROXXY** : Good guesses! But WRONG!

_ Roxxy makes a buzzer sound with her mouth, and does a dramatic thumbs down. _

**KENICHI** : Wait! I’ve got it! I bet she picks them up off the ground!

**ROXXY** : Whaaat? How did you know that!

**KENICHI** : It just seemed like something you’d do.

_ Roxxy visibly pouts, and Fumi rubs her back carefully, trying to cheer her up. _

**SHUJI** : Heiji, it’s your turn. What activity did Yui and her sister do when they were kids at their grandparents’ house?

**HEIJI** : Caught frogs!

**YUI** : God damn it.

**NORIKO** : Is that true?

**FUMI** : How did you even know that!

**HEIJI** : I ask questions, duh. I pay attention more than I let on!

**SHUJI** : Yui. Is Heiji good at video games?

**YUI** : That feels extremely subjective.

**KENICHI** : Not really; there’s a really clear skill difference in video games that’s visible because of score, and stuff like that.

**YUI** : Okay. It’s a 50/50 chance… I’ll guess yes.

**HEIJI** : Aw, I’m flattered!

**SHUJI** : That’s wrong, though. 

**FUMI** : True, he’s really bad.

_ I display a habanero pepper for Yui. Begrudgingly, she takes a bite, trying to avoid the seeds. Her face goes white when it touches her tongue, and then very red. She coughs, spluttering for a bit, and leans against the counter. _

**YUI** : Wow…

_ Kyo leaps into action, heading toward the fridge and grabbing milk and a glass. I smile a little bit at that; even when they’re on opposite sides they still want to help each other. Yui takes the milk gratefully, taking off her glasses so that her watering eyes don’t smear the lenses. _

**PV** : Are we done? 

_ I shake my head mutely. _

**SHUJI** : We’re gonna keep going. Now I’ve asked you all about each other, it’s time to see if you know me. After all, I’m still deciding if I want to be on your teams.

**KINOSUKE** : This is the challenge round. Multiple questions will be asked, in increasing severity, about Shuji. You can confer amongst one another, but only the team leader can answer. You will be graded on time, however.

**SHUJI** : Are you ready?

_ PV and Noriko both nod firmly. _

**SHUJI** : What is my Super High School Level talent?

**NORIKO** : You don’t have one.

**PV** : You aren’t an alumnus from Hope’s Peak.

_ They answer almost instantly. _

**SHUJI** : Do I prefer cats or dogs?

_ They whisper among each other for a moment, checking with their teams. _

**PV** : Cats.

**NORIKO** : Cats.

_ I nod. _

**SHUJI** : Why do I have a bad relationship with my parents?

_ More whispering, this time a little bit animated. _

**PV** : You were kicked out after you transitioned.

**NORIKO** : It’s because of your gender.

_ Noriko is lagging behind a little bit, but they’re still pretty much apace with one another. _

**SHUJI** : What’s the name of my cat?

_ Once again, this prompts some discussion. _

**PV** : Grandma!

**NORIKO** : Gra--Agh, I was saying that already! Grandma!

**SHUJI** : Name a job I’ve had.

_ Isei tugs on Noriko’s sleeve immediately, before PV’s team has even had time to talk about it, and she nods. _

**NORIKO** : Do you know the answer, Pure Virtual?

**PV** : I’m working on it!

**NORIKO** : Why don’t you say your answer? I already have it.

_ This is just cocky! _

**PV** : I… Okay. Shuji worked as a...as a… Barista?

**NORIKO** : You worked in the back of a restaurant, unofficially, being paid under the table.

**SHUJI** : Noriko’s correct.

**PV** : UGH!

**KINOSUKE** : Okay, so this pepper… Well, we didn’t know what it was, so we put it in the curry and it nearly killed us. So. 

_ PV looks pale even under their makeup.  _

**NORIKO** : I’m sure you can avoid eating it, if you’re worried. Though, that would of course forfeit the game and leave me as the winner…

_ PV glares at Noriko, and approaches the small, bright red pepper. Noriko smiles down at them, and I don’t blame them for taking such a large bite from that pepper out of spite. I don’t think any of us really could predict the severity of the reaction, however. _

_ First, a gasp. Then a clear, visible regret of that gasp as it sent more pepper down their throat. They start choking almost immediately, and then the tears start. Their makeup is in ruins in about one second, before anyone has even had time to react, and they’re on their knees in the next moment. _

_ Yui, panicking, reaches for her glass of milk and tries to offer it to PV, who can barely see through their tears at this point. The glass is knocked out of Yui’s hand as they reach for it, splashing onto the floor. _

_ Kyo grabs the whole gallon of milk from the fridge, and yells for PV’s attention. _

_ They look up, blearily, their mouth still open as they try to breathe through the spice, and Kyo upends the gallon on them. PV just lies down in it, eyes screwed shut. _

**SHUJI** : Are you okay?!

**KINOSUKE** : Did we just kill them?

**YUI** : I’m genuinely concerned about a body discovery announcement...

_ From the puddle of milk on the floor, PV extends a single thumbs up. _

**HEIJI** : They live!

_ Noriko goes into the cabinet and brings out a piece of white bread, and offers it to PV. They take it, weakly, as she gets down to her haunches next to them. _

**NORIKO** : Don’t die.

_ PV chews on their bread for a moment and swallows heavily. _

**PV** : [Barely smiling] I thought I told you you couldn’t boss me around.

_ Noriko’s eyes crinkle at the corners, suggesting a smile that’s not quite there. _

**NORIKO** : Okay, I won’t. Consider it a suggestion.

_ PV chuckles raspily. _

**PV** : Suggestion noted.

**FUMI** : Can we end the game? I don’t think it’s fair to make someone else go through that…

**SHUJI** : Sure, yeah. I can’t maybe-murder anyone else…

**AIKA** : Who won?

**KINOSUKE** : Well, PV’s side was able to answer more questions overall, but they did really fail the pepper part…

**SHUJI** : [Shrugs] Looks like another tie.

**ISEI** : Coulda guessed.

_ PV sits up not long after that, and people from both teams bustle to clean up the milk mess. For just a moment, there’s peace between the teams. I relish in the lack of bickering while it lasts, but it isn’t long before Yui makes a catty remark at Aika, which turns into glares and coldness. _

_ The group disperses once the mess is mostly taken care of. _

_ Finally, all that are left is me, Heiji, and Kinosuke. _

_ Heiji isn’t really looking at either of us, though. Instead, he’s creeping toward the pot of painfully spicy curry. He sticks his pinky into the pot, licks it, and shrugs. _

**HEIJI** : Pretty tasty…

_ I watch him gather a bowl, some rice, and serve himself a bowl of the deadly curry and head out. He is truly an enigma sometimes. Still, I’m glad it won’t go to waste I guess? _

**KINOSUKE** : Hey, do you think you could take care of wrapping this up?

**SHUJI** : Hm? Sure. What’s up?

**KINOSUKE** : I wanted to talk to Kata--

**SHUJI** : Kenichi.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, whatever. I wanted to talk to him about his hacking adventures. I had an idea for...something. Something good! But I want to keep wraps on it until I talk to him. 

_ I frown and cross my arms at him. _

**SHUJI** : That sounds super shady, dude.

**KINOSUKE** : Well, in my defense, I am a super shady guy. Never pretended otherwise, yeah?

**SHUJI** : Fine. But if either of you get hurt, I’m gonna be pissed.

**KINOSUKE** : Aw, you’re sweet. Scout’s honor, I’ve got no murderous intent.

**SHUJI** : Were you a boy scout?

**KINOSUKE** : Nope! But stealing their honor is just part of my shadiness. C’mon, keep up.

_ I laugh, and shoo him away. _

**SHUJI** : Fine, now get out of my way so I can clean up.

_ He blows me a kiss and scampers off, laughing at his own mischievous nature or something. _

_ As I put the curry in a tupperware and start to clean the pot, I wonder about Kinosuke. I know he’s always been like this; as long as I can remember. He acted like a sneaky spy, always in the morally grey, when his job was literally security testing. He was on the side of the corporations, not exactly a Robin Hood figure. Then again, he did like to steal from the rich to give to the poor--or, to give to the me, I guess. _

_ He’s always seemed like someone who didn’t know if he wanted to be good or bad. But then again, that’s a struggle a lot of people have. Kenichi struggles with it, and I think Aika does too in private. Maybe it just comes with knowing math. _

_ I’ve unlocked the secret of evil; it’s just math. _

_ I snort to myself, drying the curry pot and placing it in it’s home under the counter. Surveying the kitchen, I come to the conclusion that I’m finally done in here.  _

_ Heading into the dining room, it’s time to figure out what to do with my day while Kinosuke harasses (or, maybe, potentially, calmly has a discussion with) Kenichi. But my thought is interrupted by seeing Isei sitting at the dining room table, hands clasped together, eyes slightly glazed over as he stares at the wall. _

_ He turns when he hears the door open and close, and blinks. _

**ISEI** : You took a lot longer than I thought.

**SHUJI** : Oh, I didn’t know you were waiting for me! I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have taken my time in there if I’d known.

**ISEI** : Nah, it’s okay. I know you like to pay attention to the details.

**SHUJI** : Do I?

**ISEI** : Yeah, man. You’re super observant.

_ Although his tone is carefully neutral, he’s keeping his eyes down, and his hands are still tightly clasped.  _

**SHUJI** : Alright. Right now I’m observing that you’re upset about something. Wanna talk?

**ISEI** : [Chuckles.] Yeah. I guess I do want to talk.

**SHUJI** : Wanna move somewhere more comfortable?

_ God, that sounds like I’m inviting him back to my place in a skeezy bar. _

**SHUJI** : ...Like the planetarium, I mean.

_ Isei squints, but his expression returns to normal in a millisecond. _

**ISEI** : Sure.

_ Saved it! _

_ We head upstairs to the planetarium in relative silence. Out of the corner of my eye I see him fiddling with his piercings, and when he notices me notice that, he immediately stops--only to start nervously braiding his hair a moment later. _

_ Once we get to the planetarium, I take a seat on the floor. He sits next to me, still braiding his hair. Trying not to look at him, I still can’t help but notice that he looks good with a braid. _

**ISEI** : I wanna talk about my secret.

**SHUJI** : Okay.

**ISEI** : This is going to totally change your opinion on me.

**SHUJI** : I doubt it, but we’ll see, okay?

_ There’s silence other than Isei taking long, deep breaths. _

**ISEI** : So. You know how I look.

**SHUJI** : I do know how you look, yes.

**ISEI** : It’s a...not a facade, necessarily, but...I have a reason to dress like this.

_ He pauses, but I decide it’s best if I don’t interrupt him even just to show that I’m listening. _

**ISEI** : Interviewing criminals in prison when you’re in middle school is a really weird mental space to be in. I was just a kid, you know? And I desperately wanted these people to respect me, to want to talk to me, to believe that I could understand what they were going through. My aunt suggested they didn’t want to talk because I looked like a wimp, or a stupid little kid.

**SHUJI** : She called you that?

**ISEI** : No, my aunt’s cool. She knows how criminals think, though. And she’s right, I looked like a real pocket-square type. 

_ I try not to smile at how cute that mental image is, and nod to let him continue. _

**ISEI** : So I started dressing like this. My aunt helped, she’s always been a punk. And when I looked and acted tough, it worked. They talked to me. They saw me as a rough kid coming from rough circumstances, and they saw themselves in me, so they opened up. 

**SHUJI** : That’s really cool.

**ISEI** : But the problem is, teachers at school also saw me as a rough kid. They didn’t like me, no matter how hard I tried in school. Accused me of cheating, put me in detention, stuff like that. They figured I was a bad kid, so they treated me like one, which meant I got to know the other bad kids.

**SHUJI** : That seems super unfair to you.

**ISEI** : [Shrugs.] Not sure it matters, now. The other kids were in similar situations; they were poor or had bad home lives so they took it out on the people around them. A lot of anger issues. I’d seen it before, in the grown up criminals.

**SHUJI** : Did you try to help them?

**ISEI** : Not really. I mean, I wanted to be their friend. They seemed so cool, and like they respected me. I wasn’t used to that. Before the punk makeover I’d just blended in, and every friendship I made was so superficial. But with them, we bonded over being mistreated by the system. 

_ He frowns sharply, and looks down at his hands. _

**ISEI** : But eventually things fell apart. They always do. I was too straight laced for them, I guess. I got good grades, even when I was being accused of cheating, I helped my aunt around the house, and I started writing books. When the first book came out, they were angry. They thought I was studying them.

**SHUJI** : Were you?

_ Isei runs a hand through his hair. _

**ISEI** : I don’t know. Maybe. Not intentionally, but I was learning a lot from them. They didn’t want to be lab rats, understandably, and questioned my loyalty to the group. They told me that if I wanted them to think I was serious about being one of them, I had to do something bad.

_ I think I can see where this is going. _

**ISEI** : It’s not like I could steal from a corner store and have that be that. It had to be real. It had to have consequences, or else I was a cowardly nerd. So I picked out an abandoned building. It was set for demolition anyway.

**SHUJI** : What kind of building?

_ He looks puzzled at my question. _

**ISEI** : A house. Nobody had lived there in a long time, and the roof had caved in. It was in a bad part of town, you know? So I took everyone there, and we took cans of spray paint and wrote our names all over the walls. We drew pictures, and really had a fun night. And then I started a fire.

**SHUJI** : That sounds fun, and mostly harmless. Dumb kid stuff, you know?

**ISEI** : Yeah, except for the fact that the house next to it wasn’t abandoned. The fire spread in the middle of the night, and ended up spreading to a house that actually had people in it.

_ He punches his palm, and squeezes his fist. He’s incredibly tense, and while my first instinct is to try to touch his shoulder to show that I’m here for him, I think if anyone touched him he might blow up. _

**SHUJI** : Was anyone hurt?

**ISEI** : No! Thank god, no. But they could have been. It was a family...there were children.

**SHUJI** : How old were you?

**ISEI** : Fifteen.

**SHUJI** : Then you were a child too.

**ISEI** : I guess. I should have gotten in trouble, though. I was ready to get in trouble. I was ready to let the worst that people thought of me come true. At least I’d earn respect from my friends, right?

_ He shakes his head. _

**ISEI** : But my aunt stepped in. She pointed out nobody got hurt, and pulled a favor with the cops. She works with them all the time, so they were willing to turn a blind eye to it. That’s the worst part. If I’d just...paid my dues, gotten expelled for being a criminal, whatever...But I abused the system I’ve been trying to reform.

_ He lies down on the floor, just pitching his back against the inclined floor. I follow suit, and watch the spinning cosmos above us. The silence between us is comfortable. I know Isei is chewing on some difficult stuff in his head, but I don’t really have a reaction in mind.  _

_ Does he want me to be mad at him? Does he want to be comforted?  _

_ I’ve had to figure out how to respond to a lot of personal shit this week. Or, really, the entire time I’ve been here. I’ve never really responded favorably to oversharing in the past, but here the whole thing is recontextualized.  _

_ Maybe that’s what Isei needs. Context. _

**SHUJI** : What would you say to me if I told you this story?

**ISEI** : What?

**SHUJI** : If I told you that, to fit in with the only people I thought respected me, I burned down a building and my guardian made sure I didn’t get into serious shit about it. What would you say?

**ISEI** : Hmm. I’d probably say that peer pressure is a super common way to get into minor crimes. There’s a whole culture around it, and wanting to be a part of a pack is really normal.

**SHUJI** : Even as a teenager?

**ISEI** : That’s when people need the most community support. They’re learning from everyone around them, and modeling that behavior just like little kids do, but without people around them really noticing it as much.

**SHUJI** : And if your kid did something stupid like that? What would you do?

**ISEI** : I...don’t know.

**SHUJI** : You wouldn’t do what you could to try to make sure they had a good future? You know how hard it is to find work as a convict, don’t you?

**ISEI** : Yeah.

**SHUJI** : So you’d be pretty forgiving, right?

**ISEI** : I...guess.

**SHUJI** : I guess that’s my reaction too. I don’t think you’re a bad person for wanting friends. I don’t think you’re a bad person because your aunt wanted to protect you.

**ISEI** : This doesn’t change the way you think of me? I’m just...a poser. I’m not a good kid, but I’m not a bad kid either.

**SHUJI** : Aw, Isei. I always knew you were a nerd.

_ He reaches over and weakly punches my arm. _

**ISEI** : I feel like I should be offended, or have like a trigger around being called a nerd since I got called it by my closest friends.

**SHUJI** : Oh shit, should I not tease you about that?

**ISEI** : No, it’s okay. It’s funny when you say it.

**SHUJI** : Funny? Why?

**ISEI** : Cuz you’re the biggest nerd in the world.

_ I snort, and he smiles for the first time since this conversation started. _

_ Again, we sit there for a moment in silence. This time I’m looking at him, instead of the spinning star display, and trying to figure out what to say. Something like ‘I’m glad you trust me with this,’ or ‘You’re like 8 feet tall, how could I be a bigger nerd than you?’ or-- _

_ Well, it doesn’t matter, because someone interrupts. _

**KINOSUKE** : THERE you are!

_ I sit up to see Kinosuke in the doorway. _

**SHUJI** : Oh, hey! 

_ Isei sits up as well, and is suddenly a lot stiffer than he’d been a second ago. I guess that makes sense; it’s not like he’d entrusted Kinosuke with his secret after all. _

**KINOSUKE** : I thought you’d still be in the kitchen or something. Hey Isei!

**ISEI** : Hey.

**KINOSUKE** : What are you guys doing up here?

**ISEI** : Nothing.

**KINOSUKE** : ...Nothing? Really? It looks like you were having some kind of deep and personal conversation.

**ISEI** : It’s private.

**KINOSUKE** : Ooohh...private...okay. 

**SHUJI** : We were just talking. How was your conversation with Kenichi?

_ Kinosuke enters the room properly, and takes a seat in one of the chairs, getting comfortable. _

**KINOSUKE** : Ugh, he’s such a menace. He doesn’t trust me, and I don’t trust him, and we don’t trust each other, and it’s this whole thing. Like, honestly, we should be on the same side, right? We’re both the shady 11th hour additions, who have a lot of computer know-how. 

**ISEI** : To be fair, I wouldn’t trust you either. Actually, I don’t trust you.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah, whatever, but the point is we should trust each other, since we’re both untrustworthy. Like how pirates team up to take on worse pirates, or the government, or something.

**ISEI** : You’re not making any sense. In any case, isn’t there a saying about this? ‘No honor among thieves?’

**KINOSUKE** : Sure I am! And you’d know, wouldn’t you? Mister Arsonist. Arson is a sexy kind of crime, I’ll give you that. I’ve heard it comes from the arsonist feeling a lack of control in their life, or something like that.

**ISEI** : [Glaring.] …

**SHUJI** : Hey, why don’t we--

**ISEI** : Shuji, it was great talking to you. Thanks. I’m gonna go now, though. I’ve got other stuff to do.

_ He gets up and leaves before I can say anything else. I frown after him, but Kinosuke seems unbothered. _

**SHUJI** : That was mean.

**KINOSUKE** : What do you mean?

**SHUJI** : Don’t try to psychoanalyze people or whatever. He’s my friend, and he’s clearly hurting about that secret. You’re not an idiot.

_ Kinosuke looks stunned. His eyes are wide and his expression is almost slack. I don’t know why what I said surprised him so much, but I keep up my frown despite my confusion. _

**KINOSUKE** : It’s...strange, sometimes. Talking with you now.

**SHUJI** : What?

**KINOSUKE** : You’re different than you were in school. You and Isei never...you never talked. I think he figured out you weren’t a student and you avoided him. I used to be prickly to get him away from you, because we were so worried he’d tell someone and you’d get kicked out.

**SHUJI** : Really?

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah. And now you two are...friends? I guess? It’s just weird.

**SHUJI** : You should try talking to him sometime. He’s a good guy.

_ Kinosuke frowns slightly, but shakes it off. _

**KINOSUKE** : Anyway, it’s almost night time. And I had an idea.

**SHUJI** : Already? And what idea?

_ He playfully puts a finger in front of his lips, as if to shush me. _

**KINOSUKE** : I’ll tell you soon! We should go to bed though, or Noriko will be after us.

_ Sure enough, the night time announcement goes off as we’re leaving the planetarium. I guess time got away from us during the challenge, and then again while I talked to Isei.  _

_ I start to settle into my night time routine, brushing my teeth and changing out of my day-clothes into night-clothes, when my suite door opens. _

_ My heart stops in my chest. I’d forgotten that these were unlocked during the night.  _

_ It’ll be fine. It has to be fine. Nobody would try to kill me. There’s no reason to.  _

_ I turn to the door, heart pounding, and see Kinosuke peeking in. _

**KINOSUKE** : You busy?

_ Calmly, I step toward my bed, grab a pillow, and throw it at his face. _

**SHUJI** : Don’t scare me like that!

**KINOSUKE** : Agh! Not the face!

_ He throws the pillow back at me, laughing, and lets himself in. _

**SHUJI** : What’s up? Did you need something?

_ He flops onto my bed, resting his hands under his head and staring at the ceiling. _

**KINOSUKE** : I need a lot of things. First of all, I need Isei to stop mooning over you. His little crush is getting really annoying. Secondly, we need to test out the secret wheel. You had to have noticed that little mess up this morning, right? So it’s espionage time.

**SHUJI** : Espiona--Isei’s WHAT? What?!

**KINOSUKE** : Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.

**SHUJI** : Noticed WHAT?

**KINOSUKE** : Ugh, he just follows you around with those big eyes like a stray dog hoping for some dinner, it’s so obvious.

_ I shake my head, baffled. _

**SHUJI** : I’m sorry, I’m not--espionage? What are you talking about?

_ He sits up, grinning widely like a fox in a hen house. _

**KINOSUKE** : The secret wheel skipped your name.

_ It did, didn’t it? I remember it landing on my name, ceasing movement, and desperately trying to figure out what secret I could confess-- _

_ What does that mean? _

**SHUJI** : You’re right. That’s super weird.

**KINOSUKE** : The wheel must have been rigged to not land on you, which has to mean something.

**SHUJI** : What do you think it means?

**KINOSUKE** : No idea! But we’re gonna sneak out and manually spin the wheel to your name. We’re gonna force it to acknowledge you.

**SHUJI** : Is that allowed?

**KINOSUKE** : It’s not on the rules that we can’t!

_ This seems like a bad idea...but I can’t help being curious. If nothing else, I just want to know what my secret is. _

_ I nod firmly, and Kinosuke jumps out of bed. We peek out into the hallway, making sure Noriko isn’t patrolling or something, and quietly make our way into the foyer. _

_ The wheel looms over us in the dark. I shudder unintentionally, chilled by the ominous aura radiating off of the punishment wheel. This feels like something that shouldn’t be happening. _

_ Kinosuke and I approach the secret wheel, and manually turn it to my name. We hold it there, not letting it skip forward or backward to anyone else. There’s a grinding sound as some mechanism tries to keep turning it, but gradually it seems to time out. _

_ A slip of paper is spat out. _

_ I let go of the wheel, my hands sweating, and take it. _

//CG: Shuji’s hands holding a slip of paper, about the size of a fortune cookie fortune, slightly wrinkled with the force of his fingers grasping it. It reads: “Shuji Saji…” and is otherwise blank.

**KINOSUKE** : What does it say?

**SHUJI** : Nothing.

**KINOSUKE** : Nothing?

_ I pass him the piece of paper. _

**KINOSUKE** : It’s like there’s supposed to be something here…

**SHUJI** : What...does this...mean…?

**KINOSUKE** : It means the Host doesn’t know anything about you.

**SHUJI** : What?

**KINOSUKE** : They couldn’t get someone to go digging in your past. They don’t know anything about you. They probably didn’t know you weren’t a student.

**SHUJI** : I’m struggling to wrap my head around this…

_ Kinosuke grabs my shoulders, shaking me slightly in his excitement. _

**KINOSUKE** : You’re a wild card. They know stuff about everyone here, except you. That must give you some power over them. They won’t be able to predict you… This has to work in our favor somehow.

_ I nod vaguely. I think he’s right, or I assume he is, but I’m still conflicted about this.  _

_ Am I such a nonentity that even the Host, who gathered secret information about everyone, couldn’t figure me out? It’s like I don’t exist. I didn’t go to school, I don’t have a talent, I don’t have a secret… _

_ I say something about wanting to go to bed, and leave Kinosuke out there. I don’t know what to think about this. _

_ Staring at the ceiling in my dark room, trying to fall asleep, a thought occurs to me. _

_ The Host wasn’t my friend. _

_ Of everyone here, they couldn’t have been someone who got to know me naturally. _

_ They weren’t close to me. _

_ It’s the only explanation. _

_ I roll over, and force myself to sleep. I can’t think about this anymore. _

* * *

 

**THE FEY** : You know what time it is! 7 AM and time to face the consequences of your ACTIONS!!! Foyer! Now!

_ Once again, I scramble to get there in time. The weird thing is, even this is becoming routine. _

_ I guess if you put someone in a murder mansion, anything can start to feel normal. Once again, everyone’s standing in the foyer in various states of sleepwear and dishevelment. Noriko is the only one who seems to be fully dressed and fully awake. _

**THE FEY** : I changed the rules! No volunteering after I roll, no fast talking bullshit! To make things even clearer, I ain’t accepting volunteer secrets that aren’t exactly the secret in the wheel. You guys have been too hunky dory about this, and it’s time to up the ante. No more reading from the piece of paper I provide; you have to know what you did wrong. 

**YUI** : I suppose that would disqualify people like Pure Virtual who lack that sort of self awareness.

_ We all exchange glances. This means we need to know what the host would try to use against us. This isn’t easy. I think about stepping forward, but what do I say? That the Host doesn’t know anything about me? That I have no secrets? _

_ In my hesitation, someone else has already spoken. _

**AIKA** : I’ll do it.

_ Expressions of shock on almost everyone except for Pure Virtual, who seems excited. _

**PV** : Yes! Good job, Aika!

**AIKA** : I’ve firmly come to terms with my sins. 

_ The Fey turns the wheel manually, and then looks at Aika expectantly, the expression on her artificial face taking on a wicked glint. _

**AIKA** : I’ve tortured hundreds of people for my science, which I’m sure will be referred to as fake or nonsense. According to the Host, I’m sure it’ll say I tortured them for no reason. 

**FUMI** : [Shocked.] Really?

**KENICHI** : She has her reasons.

**ROXXY** : Ugh, what a thing to try and defend! Gross!

**THE FEY** : Heehee! Let’s see!

_ She grabs the slip of paper delightedly. Aika looks impassive, not even looking in the direction of the wheel. Although she seems unaffected by this, I can see that her hands are in fists, her knuckles white from effort. This is taking a lot out of her, even if she’d never admit it. _

**THE FEY** : Oopsie...looks like you forgot something preeetty important! “Aika Akiyama has tortured hundreds of humans and thousands of rats in the pursuit of her pseudoscience.” Sooo close!

**ISEI** : Animals, too?

**AIKA** : I--I didn’t think--

**THE FEY** : That’s the sad thing, isn’t it? You feel soooo guilty about those innocent rats, but you’re willing to do such nasty things to other people?

**AIKA** : The people signed waivers, I--

_ The Fey flings herself into the air victoriously, and comes back down right next to the punishment wheel. _

**KYO** : But she volunteered!

**THE FEY** : Tough shit! She neglected the part she’s the most guilty about! That’s hardly honesty!

_ The Fey spins the wheel gleefully. Aika is visibly shaking where she stands, her face still perfectly neutral. _

**THE FEY** : Oh-hoho! “The thing most valuable to the person who rolled this will be destroyed in 3 days if a murder is not committed.”

**AIKA** : Wh-what does that...entail…?

**THE FEY** : Only your precious little laboratory! All that research...BOOM! Hahahaha!!

_ The Fey vanishes, leaving us in the wake of that. _

_ The silence is deafening. It’s suffocating. Not all of us have fond feelings for Aika, but seeing her so weak is painful. She did try to save us from a punishment, didn’t she? She tried to help. That’s huge for her!  _

_ But the silence continues. PV eventually steps up and puts a hand on Aika’s shoulder. Aika doesn’t react positively, but she doesn’t shrug it off either.  _

_ I imagine everyone is considering their secrets. What if the ones they planned on volunteering aren’t the secrets The Fey has in store for us? What if we can’t save each other at all? What if we don’t want to? _

_ Why am I spared from this? Why do I have no secrets the Host can deploy? It doesn’t feel fair. I don’t want this privilege. I want to help. _

_ So I’ll do what I can. _

**SHUJI** : So, I’m planning another challenge!

**NORIKO** : Another tie breaker?

**SHUJI** : Yup. Meet me in the movie theatre before lunch! We’ll cook together afterward, and that’ll be part two of the challenge!

_ People nod, and gradually disperse. It doesn’t seem like Noriko’s team is having another meeting, which is nice. Maybe I’ll actually get to hang out with someone from that side before the challenge. I don’t want to seem like I’m playing favorites, anyway. _

_ Once everyone’s out of the foyer, Kinosuke turns to me. _

**KINOSUKE** : Hey, can you set up this challenge on your own this time?

**SHUJI** : Hm? Sure. Why?

**KINOSUKE** : I want to talk to Noriko about the rules she’s set up. I’ll see you at the challenge!

**SHUJI** : Sure, see you then! Have fun.

_ Well, now I actually have to think of something. _

_ I might as well check out the library. Maybe it has a book of games I can warp to my purposes. I head upstairs, and spend some time rifling through unorganized books with no real results until someone else enters the library. _

_ I peek out of the shelves to see who it is. _

**FUMI:** Hey!

**SHUJI:** Oh hey, what’s up?

**FUMI:** I’ve been looking for you! I’ve gotta tell you something!

_ She’s practically glowing, bobbing up and down on her tiptoes. I come out of the stacks to the middle of the library to meet her, and she grins up at me. _

**SHUJI:** What’s the good news?

**FUMI:** We haven’t told anyone else yet, but since you’re close to both of us I thought...well, you’re an exception!

**SHUJI:** Slow down, haven’t told anyone else WHAT yet?

**FUMI:** Roxxy and I are dating!!

_ I’m reminded of advice someone once gave me when someone comes out of the closet who you’d already guessed was gay or trans. You’re not supposed to go ‘Duh,’ because that won’t make them feel any better. I feel like I shouldn’t be like ‘well, of course,’ in this situation for the same reasons. _

**SHUJI:** Oh wow! Since when?

**FUMI:** We had a really special evening last night… Dinner, candles, everything! We’d both planned something totally separate, so it was like this race to make sure we got to do everything before night time. I had this whole thing set up in the planetarium, and she had these rose petals and--

_ She cuts herself off mid sentence to just squeal for a little bit. _

**FUMI:** I was the one who asked, officially, first! She kept trying, and being so nervous, which is usually my thing, but I just blurted it out! That I like her, and that I maybe LOVE her, and everything! It was so embarrassing!

**SHUJI:** [Smiling.] How’d she react?

**FUMI:** Ohh it was like from a dream! She just picked me up and spun me around and--and--and dipped me! Like we were dancing! And she--

_ Again, she stops abruptly in the middle of her sentence, this time interrupted only by a vivid blush. _

**SHUJI:** I’m so happy for you two! Why are you keeping it a secret?

**FUMI:** Oh, it’s so complicated. What if Noriko doesn’t approve? What if Heiji gets mad? What if--

_ It seems she’s not destined to finish thoughts in this conversation, because the door to the library opens and PV peeks their head in. _

**PV:** There you are!

**FUMI:** Just, there’s factors we want to consider, that’s all.

**SHUJI:** Are you looking for me?

**PV:** Nope! Fumi, actually. 

**FUMI:** Oh? What for?

**PV:** Someone on my team wants to talk to you. Sorry to interrupt!

**FUMI:** Hmm… I guess I am supposed to be accompanying the other team so no murders happen anyway. I’ll see you at the challenge, Shuji!

**SHUJI:** Yeah! See ya!

_ They both head out, and I give up on my search for materials in the library that can help me. Maybe I can just do a movie trivia thing, since I arbitrarily picked the movie theatre. Charades, or something? _

_ I leave the library to go to the theatre, musing on what types of game I could mutilate to be entirely unfair, when I hear someone clear their throat from behind me. _

_ I turn, and I’m almost immediately blinded by pain. _

**SHUJI:** Wh--

_ Searing, white hot pain in my chest. _

_ A white figure stands in front of me. A person? A ghost? _

_ Things seem to happen in slow motion.  _

_ The ghost is already gone, leaving me with my pain. _

_ My vision seems to be flickering. _

_ I look down. A black...something, sticking out of my chest. Some kind of handle…? _

_ A knife? _

_ My sweater is turning red. _

_ Is that blood? _

_ My heart pounds unevenly. _

_ Is that my blood? _

_ I can’t--I can’t see. _

_ I can’t breathe. _

_ Everything goes white. _

_ And then black. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> So.
> 
> I'll be posting the investigation on April 22nd.


	40. Interlude: Endings and Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!
> 
> This isn't the investigation yet, though. In all honesty, this chapter was originally intended as something of a prologue to the next chapter I was gonna publish, but absolutely last minute I decided it works better on it's own as an interlude.

They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. I find the opposite is true; when someone who matters to you is taken away, all the choices you could have made to prevent this flash in front of you like a cautionary tale.

Why did I bother learning to interview people? Why did I bother learning to write? Learning the ins and outs of the legal system of my country? Learning how to talk, how to pose, how to look tough to earn trust?

All of that is useless to me now.

He’s carted off to the infirmary, among the screaming and crying of everyone around me, and I don’t know a single thing that could save his life. 

Perhaps I should start at the beginning, now that my thoughts have slowed to a crawl.

My name is Isei Soga. I’m the SHSL Biographer, or I was until I graduated.

Many stories start at the end. The endings of things provide crucial context to the beginnings, to knowing when things really began. Knowing where someone ends up makes the tension of their upbringing all the more compelling. 

But where is my beginning? It certainly isn’t birth; that’s far too trite. Nobody truly begins at birth. There’s always something that makes them who they are--a true beginning. Is mine at graduation? Is it at waking up on the cool marble floor of the foyer of this house? Is it seeing him for the first time, and seeing that he’s hiding something?

Or is my beginning at the end of his life?

I’m motionless. 

Sitting on the floor of the infirmary, people rush around me. I try to pay attention, but I can’t. The Fey is here, she’s talking, always talking, always mocking, and I can’t even listen to what she says.

The tracks of my train of thought have been covered by an avalanche. I can’t move forward. I won’t. I refuse to.

I’m supposed to be the investigator. Even in trials, where he did all the talking for me when I couldn’t bring myself to, I helped him with my sharp mind and eye for detail. But what will these do for me now? My toolbox is empty.

I cannot observe Shuji back to life. I cannot reason his eyes into opening. I cannot use logic to protect him. My skills are meaningless here, and I wonder if they always have been.

Shuji’s blood is on my hands.

I can’t let the others see me cry, so I tuck my head into my folded arms and try not to shake.

My name is Isei Soga. I’m the SHSL Biographer.

**ISEI:** Shuji, I…

He doesn’t respond, of course. He can’t.

His name is Shuji Saji. I cannot save him.

But I must try, anyway.

If his death is my beginning, then so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more week to go until the investigation (proper) drops!


	41. Chapter Four: Phoenix (Investigation)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to finally figure out what happened to Shuji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is the proper body discovery and everything, general warnings for a bit of gore though nothing is described in gross detail. This murder has a kind of gross vibe, though, so make sure to take care of yourself if you get easily squicked by stuff.

_ Light. _

_ (Closed eyes: Eyelids made pink by penetrating lights, somewhere.) _

_ Warmth. _

_ (A hand: held in someone else’s.) _

_ Noise. _

_ (Lots of noise; muffled, distant, sobbing and yelling.) _

**???:** \--to stop crying. You can handle this.

**???:** I can’t! I’ve never done this before!

**???:** It doesn’t matter. You can do it.

**???:** You’re asking her to take his life into her hands!

**???:** Nobody else can even do it! She totally can!

**???:** You think so?

**???:** You can. Please. Help him.

_ A prick of white pain, which brings back the big, aching, sharp pain in the center. _

_ Velvet darkness again. _

* * *

 

_ Light. _

_ My eyes open. _

_ Every atom in my body hurts indescribably.  _

_ The sound of fabric rustling. _

_ Aika…? _

_ She stands there, pillow in hands, above me. Where am I? _

_ The sound of a door opening. _

_ She leans forward and situates the pillow behind my head. _

**???:** Is he awake?

**AIKA** : His eyes are open, but his pupils…

_ The rest of her sentence is lost in a comfortable fog. _

_ Cozy white dreams. _

* * *

 

_ Warmth. _

_ My arm has fallen off of the cot at some point, but it doesn’t touch the floor. _

_ Turning my torso feels like being lit on fire, searing through my whole body. _

_ Turning my head is fine. I can do that. So I do. _

_ Isei is sitting on the floor, slumped against the wall, holding my hand. _

_ His hand is warm. _

**???:** It’s not my place to interfere with a murder…

_ I don’t want to turn my head. I just watch him. _

_ His cold grey eyes are squinting at something. _

_ Must be important. _

**???:** We already did. He won’t die. As it is, he won’t be able to participate…

_ He looks so focused. _

_ I wish I could focus. _

_ The pain is so much… _

_ I close my eyes. _

_ Warm sleep. _

* * *

 

_ Noise. _

**???:** A nineteen year old girl did this?

**???:** Not bad…

**???:** I guess, since she’s got no experience… It’ll still get infected if we don’t do anything.

**???:** Jeez, nobody told me he had a broken hand, too.

**???:** I’m not used to working under these conditions.

_ Another voice, this one burrs in my head as if I should know something about it. _

**???:** You have to hurry. I didn’t knock anyone out, and I wouldn’t put it past one or two of them to try to drop by unexpectedly. We can’t handle an unexpected guest.

**???:** Of course. We’ll do our best.

_ Something is put over my face. It smells bad, sharp. _

_ I drift into blissful silence. _

* * *

 

**THE FEY** : It’s 7 AM! Anyone who hasn’t been fucking stabbed recently should report to the foyer for your lovely morning treat! Maybe after this someone will actually COMMIT to a murder, cowards!!

_ I stir, slightly, but I don’t open my eyes. _

_ Stabbed? Did she say stabbed? _

_ My mind lazily drifts through memories. _

_ Oh, me. She’s talking about me. I was stabbed. That makes a lot of sense. _

**THE FEY** : Bing bong! A body has been discovered! I guess I had no reason to be mad at the motive meeting being interrupted! How nice.

_ My eyes snap open. _

_ Unthinkingly, I pat myself down. _

_ Ouch, okay, I can feel the stab wound. My right hand hurts, too, as I whack it gracelessly against my body. _

**SHUJI** : I’m...definitely alive.

_ Right? _

_ I think I am. _

_ Pain usually denotes being alive, right? _

_ Carefully, slowly, I get out of the cot. _

_ I’m in the infirmary. I’m trying to piece together memories from my time fading in and out of consciousness. I must have been brought here after… _

**SHUJI** : Oh my god, somebody stabbed me!

_ Before I can fully process that--how? Does one process that?--Isei and Kinosuke rush into the infirmary. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, what--

_ They both surge forward and trap me in a very tight and unexpected group hug. If I had to imagine any two people pitching in to hug me simultaneousy, these two only rank higher than Noriko and PV right now. Before I can think through commenting on that, though, I’m distracted by the pinching pain in my chest. _

**SHUJI** : Agh! Hurts!

_ They leap backward, almost as one, their looks of concern mirrored on each other’s faces. _

**KINOSUKE** : I was worried it was you!

**ISEI** : You’re okay...you’re okay…

_ I reach out and put a hand on one shoulder for each of them. _

**SHUJI** : I’m okay. I’m alive. Like, pretty sure I’m alive. I haven’t been wrong about that yet, though, so I think it’s pretty likely that I’m alive.

**ISEI** : I thought, with the body announcement, and--

**SHUJI** : It’s okay. I’m okay. 

**KINOSUKE** : But if it’s not you…

**SHUJI** : We should find out who...who got hurt.

_ We leave the infirmary. I’m feeling surprisingly hale for someone who was stabbed, but still moving a bit slower than I’d like. We don’t make it very far before Kenichi finds us. _

**KENICHI** : You’re up and around already?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I’m fine. I’m guessing I don’t get to opt out of this investigation this time?

_ He shrugs, but there’s a distinct air of sadness to it. _

**KENICHI** : Guess not. I was coming to find you, anyway. She’s in the cellar. I’m gonna try to find everyone else.

_ With that, he’s gone. _

_ ‘She’s in the cellar.’ My stomach feels sick as I instinctively try to guess who died. I shake my head and climb the stairs to the fourth floor. _

**SHUJI** : Ugh, a ladder.

_ This is gonna suck with how stiff my torso is feeling and my broken hand, but I guess I have to manage. _

_ I make it down the ladder without exceptional incident, and see a group of people standing in and around the wine cellar. Isei comes down the ladder behind me, and gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze before forging on ahead. _

_ It’s time to find out. _

//CG: Aika Akiyama is tied, arms spread, to the shelves in the wine cellar. Her head is limp, and blood is still running down her arms and legs. Her clothes are disheveled slightly; especially on her sleeves and leggings. A large pool of blood has formed beneath her feet, which are not touching the ground. Somehow, despite all odds, her glasses are still fixed on her face, covering her eyes.

!! INVESTIGATION: START !!

**NORIKO** : Obviously I’ll be guarding the body. I know someone on Pure Virtual’s team did this, and if they have their way they’ll tamper with the scene. We know their type.

**PV** : You’re pretty quick to spread blame, having done no investigating. I think it’s suspicious you were down here in the first place. She was still warm when I got here; you must have killed her first thing and then pretended to--

**NORIKO** : Please! You think I would be so dishonorable as to--

**PV** : Oh, so only SOME murders are allowed? We know what you’re capable of!

**NORIKO** : You know full well what I was doing here! Or you would, if you weren’t--

**SHUJI** : HEY!

_ Sure enough, all eyes turn to me. _

**PV** : Oh my god, you’re okay! 

**NORIKO** : Shouldn’t you be in bed?

**SHUJI** : I’m here to investigate. Both of you are going to guard the body, and you’re going to give me some quiet while I look around. If I hear any bickering, I swear, I’ll--

_ I cut myself off, unsure of what I would actually do. _

**SHUJI** : I’ll probably faint or something. I really don’t want to do that.

_ It’s honest, but it’s also a bit of a guilt trip. But if it works, hey, it can’t be that bad, right? Both Noriko and PV look ashamed, and take positions on either side of the room with a clear view of the body. _

**ROXXY** : Jeez, now we can finally think. Thanks, Shuji.

**SHUJI** : No problem.

**KINOSUKE** : So...what do I do?

**SHUJI** : Right, you’ve never...done this before.

**ISEI** : You observe as much as you can, and then we talk about what we found in the trial. 

**KINOSUKE** : Okay...this sounds pretty hard.

**SHUJI** : It’s never easy. I’m going to start looking around.

[Aika’s Body] / [Blood Puddle] / [Fey File] / [Wine Cellar]

**[SELECT: Aika’s Body]**

_ I approach her slowly, cautiously. I shouldn’t be used to this, I tell myself, but deep in my gut I know that I pretty much already am. Without thinking, I reach forward and adjust her glasses so that they don’t slide off of her face.  _

_ Where do I begin?  _

**KINOSUKE** : So...this is gonna sound really morbid…

**SHUJI** : What is it?

**KINOSUKE** : It’s just...it’s been established that people can fake their deaths, right? 

**ISEI** : And she does have a reputation for fucking up crime scenes…

_ Irritation at the idea that she might actually do something like that is matched by the hope that she’s not actually dead, after all.  _

_ I mean, I survived my stabbing. Who’s to say she didn’t? _

**SHUJI** : How do we, uh...check?

**KINOSUKE** : Hey! Aika!

_ He claps his hands in front of her face. _

**KINOSUKE** : Remember my talent? Penetration Tester? Don’t you have something you want to say about that?

_ Silence. _

**KINOSUKE** : Damn, she’s really dead.

_ Isei rolls his eyes, and approaches the body. He carefully lifts her head from its repose, and places his index and middle finger against the side of her neck. After a full thirty seconds of stillness, he shakes his head. _

**ISEI** : Do you have anything reflective? Like a mirror?

_ Kinosuke shrugs, but I dig around in my bag. _

**SHUJI** : Would my phone work?

**ISEI** : It might.

_ I hand over my cellphone, and he places it in front of Aika’s lips. They’re slightly open, but… _

_ Isei furrows his brow and takes the phone away from her face, and takes a moment to breathe on it. Squinting, he rubs his thumb across the surface, which demonstrates that yes, it did fog up briefly. _

_ He tries to place it in front of her face again, but… There’s something about Aika’s mouth. _

**SHUJI** : Hold on.

_ It’s my turn to approach the body again. I tilt Aika’s head back; she’s completely limp. In between her lips is something white.  _

_ This is gross. I reach into her mouth and touch whatever it is. _

_ Cloth? Wet cloth? _

_ Wincing, I pull it out of her mouth.  _

_ A white cloth, maybe half a foot by half a foot in a roughly cut square, with two circular holes in it. _

**KINOSUKE** : What is it?

**ISEI** : A gag.

[EVIDENCE GET: White Gag Cloth]

**SHUJI** : I think...I think she’s really dead.

**ISEI** : Yeah. There was nothing.

**KINOSUKE** : Ah...I’d hoped…

_ I shake my head. _

**SHUJI** : Yeah. It’s okay. We just need to keep moving.

_ I step back, trying to take in the view of Aika’s body as a whole. The first thing is obviously the position. She’s been tied up to the shelves, either wrist tied to a different bracket holding the shelf up, so that she doesn’t touch the ground. She seems to be tied with the same white fabric we found in her mouth. _

_ I swallow dryly. _

_ Is this because I got away? Whoever did this had to tie her up so that nobody could find her, so that they couldn’t get her to the infirmary in time. She died because I lived. _

_ Still...this is a little much. I guess that’s an understatement. There’s something ritualistic about this whole set up… _

[EVIDENCE GET: Position of the Body]

_ The second thing is the blood. Her white sleeves are caked with it, and it’s run down her legs. Some of it is dry, but some of it still drips slowly down her body, pulled with the force of gravity. There isn’t any blood on her face or hands, however. It mostly seems to be on her limbs... _

_ It looks like she was cut through the sleeves of her dress and her tights exclusively. I lean forward to inspect the cuts. They’re focused on her arms and legs, sure, but even then they seem to be more present on the insides of her thighs and arms. The closer I get the more I realize how many of them there are, however. They’re all over her arms and legs... _

_ There’s a hundred cuts, minimum. Each of them looks slender, precise. Although the clothes are ripped, the skin itself isn’t torn as much as delicately sliced. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Thin Cuts]

**KINOSUKE** : I’m starting to feel sick…

**SHUJI** : The smell of blood isn’t a good one.

**KINOSUKE** : I’m so, so sorry that this has become normal for you.

_ I shrug. I’ll deal with the emotions part later. Like I always do. Maybe the pain meds are taking the edge off, anyway. _

**ISEI** : I want to check something else.

_ He grimaces as he lifts her skirt a bit. _

**SHUJI** : What are you doing?!

**ISEI** : I want to see what cut killed her. There’s an artery…

_ Sure enough, one cut in particular on her upper thigh seems to have more blood trickling from it. The blood is darker, thicker too.  _

**KINOSUKE** : Hmm.

_ He leans forward to observe as well.  _

**KINOSUKE** : There’s a weird hole in her tights.

_ He gestures toward it, and I force myself to look. _

_ On her hip, there’s a small hole in her tights with no blood around it. Underneath it, there’s no cut. It also seems less like a slice, and more like a puncture; as if the tip of a sharp object touched it, and tore the delicate material making up her tights. _

**SHUJI** : Do you think it means anything?

**KINOSUKE** : I don’t know, man, I’ve never done this before.

**SHUJI** : Fair enough...

[EVIDENCE GET: Strange Hole in Aika’s Tights]

**ISEI** : I don’t think there’s anything else to look at here.

_ I nod. _

**[SELECT: Blood Puddle]**

_ Directly beneath the body is a huge pool of blood. Everyone’s been avoiding stepping in it, which makes approaching the body a bit more difficult, but fortunately nobody seems to have tracked blood around. _

_ But this is...a lot of blood. _

_ I wince, thinking of the pool of blood outside the game room after Bo died. Even then, that had been mopped up a bit, and this… _

**SHUJI** : How much blood can a person lose?

_ Isei and Kinosuke both shrug. _

**SHUJI** : ...I guess Aika was always the one who had the medical knowledge. 

**ISEI** : I think I read somewhere that it’s like a couple pints. I don’t know. 

**KINOSUKE** : This looks like more than a few pints…

_ I shudder. _

_ More importantly than the sheer amount of blood is the fact that there seem to be faint footprints leading from it. I squint. _

_ If someone investigating had stepped in the blood, the footprints would still be a little bit wet, right? _

_ Swallowing my revulsion, I hunker down (ouch, ouch, stabwound, ouch) and touch one of the footprints.  _

_ Dry. _

_ I turn my head, following the trail. They lead out of the wine cellar. _

_ Honestly, I’d take any excuse to step away from the huge pool of blood for just a moment, so I follow them out.  _

_ They end before the ladder in a series of scrapes, as if someone had rubbed their shoes against the concrete floor to get the blood off. There isn’t any blood on the ladder. _

_ Well, that seems important. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Bloody Footprints]

_ It’s time to keep looking. _

**[SELECT: Fey File]**

> FEY FILE #05
> 
> VICTIM: Aika Akiyama
> 
> TIME OF DEATH: 7:05 AM
> 
> TIME OF DISCOVERY: 7:05 AM
> 
> SITE OF DISCOVERY: Wine Cellar
> 
> CAUSE OF DEATH: Exsanguination 

**SHUJI** : I guess this confirms that she died of blood loss, huh.

**ISEI** : What’s up with this time of death, though?

_ I look closer. _

**SHUJI** : Oh my god, was she discovered just as she died?

**KINOSUKE** : That’s dark.

**SHUJI** : Do we know who discovered her?

**ISEI** : Noriko, I think.

**KINOSUKE** : We’ll want to talk to her about that.

[EVIDENCE GET: Fey File]

**[SELECT: Wine Cellar]**

_ People have mostly cleared out of here, other than Noriko and PV who have been tasked with watching the body. That makes it easier to navigate the area and figure out where to look next. _

[Noriko] / [PV] / [Dumbwaiter] / [Paper Bag] / [Flower Petals]

**[SELECT: Noriko]**

_ I approach Noriko, who is hanging out around the back wall with a clear view to Aika’s body and a sour expression on her face. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Noriko.

**NORIKO** : Shuji.

**SHUJI** : I...are you okay?

**NORIKO** : Of course not! I failed. I fail again, and again, and again. You got STABBED and I wasn’t able to do anything about it. And then, immediately after that, the culprit comes here and… I just don’t understand what anyone would even be doing down here!

**SHUJI** : This isn’t your responsibility, Noriko. I know it’s hard, but--

**NORIKO** : It absolutely is my responsibility. Aika wasn’t on my side, but it is my duty to protect everyone here. That’s the point of the rules! The rules that expressly forbid anyone from coming down here!

**KINOSUKE** : PV’s team wasn’t forbidden from coming down here though, right?

**NORIKO** : I couldn’t control their actions. If I had, then… But it doesn’t matter. Obviously someone on that team did this. I have difficulty suspecting Kyo and Heiji… So it must have been Pure Virtual or Kenichi. They’re the only ones heartless enough.

**SHUJI** : Let’s save the accusations for the trial, okay?

_ She grunts noncommittally.  _

**SHUJI** : So...were you the one who found her?

**NORIKO** : Yes. 

**KINOSUKE** : If you forbid everyone from coming down here, why were you down here?

**NORIKO** : I’ve been doing patrols, evening and morning, to ensure nothing is amiss. Especially since I moved all alcohol down here to make it less accessible, I wanted to make sure nobody had tried to get into it.

_ She averts her gaze, looking past us to Aika’s body. _

**NORIKO** : I didn’t patrol last night because of...all the hubbub. With you. I wonder, if I had…

_ She rubs her arms, as if cold. _

**NORIKO** : She was still alive when I laid eyes on her. I’m certain of it.

**SHUJI** : I’m so sorry. That has to be… Traumatic. There’s no other word for it.

**NORIKO** : I’ll deal with it. I’ve dealt with it before, and I will continue to. Is there anything else you need from me?

_ She clearly needs her space. I shake my head, wave, and back off. Still, she said a lot of stuff that’s surely important. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Noriko’s Testimony]

**[SELECT: PV]**

_ Pure Virtual is opposite Noriko, pretty much as far away from her as they possibly could be while still maintaining a visual on Aika’s body. Their arms are folded, and they look exhausted. Bags under their eyes stand out even beneath the makeup. _

_ Their eyes don’t move from Aika’s body even as we approach. _

**SHUJI** : Hey.

**PV** : What?

**SHUJI** : I uh...I was going to ask you about all this.

**PV** : I--ugh, sorry. I’m a little tense. I can’t believe this happened.

**SHUJI** : I think being tense is pretty understandable. I’m sure you feel responsible since she was on your team, but--

**PV** : I’m not responsible for this. Noriko is.

**KINOSUKE** : Wow, okay, elaborate on that?

**PV** : I saw Aika just last night. She was alive. Noriko did this to, I don’t know, prove that her stupid rules are important and otherwise people will get hurt. She clearly thought since nobody on her team goes down here, she could frame us. 

**SHUJI** : You think Noriko did all this? The...tying her up, and…

**PV** : I don’t know! But she was so fast to accuse me, it felt like she was covering for something.

**KINOSUKE** : Hmm… It is true that Noriko has a lot of access to weapons…

**PV** : What?

**KINOSUKE** : After their second strategy meeting, Noriko’s team moved a bunch of stuff from the kitchen into her suite so nobody could take a knife or whatever as a weapon. I talked to her about it yesterday, not long before Shuji was...er…

**SHUJI** : You can say I was stabbed. It’s not going to, like, hurt my feelings or anything.

**KINOSUKE** : Yeah. It was not long before Shuji was stabbed.

**PV** : So that gives her opportunity, as well. I’m not saying it’s her, necessarily, but it’s gotta be someone on her team.

_ Their eyes flick to Isei and they grimace slightly, but go back to looking at Aika’s corpse. Their face closes off as they do so, and I get the feeling I’m not gonna be able to get more out of them right now. _

[EVIDENCE GET: PV’s Testimony]

_ I really do feel bad for them. Aika wasn’t the most likable person, but it seems like they’d been making an effort to be friendly with one another.  _

_ I look back at Aika’s body. She volunteered her secret yesterday. She was getting better. _

**[SELECT: Dumbwaiter]**

_ Something about the dumbwaiter catches my eye.  _

_ Approaching it, I see that the switch next to it is completely broken. It’s like something was used to bash it in. I probably would have noticed sooner if it weren’t so close to Aika’s body, which obviously takes up a lot of mental processing. _

_ I open the door to the dumbwaiter, curious, but it seems to be up in the ballroom instead of down here. Delicately, I touch the switch to attempt to summon it.  _

_ It’s completely unresponsive. Hmm. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Broken Dumbwaiter]

_ I’ll have to make a mental note to check the ballroom.  _

**[SELECT: Paper Bag]**

_ Near where Noriko is stationed is a large, grocery sized brown paper bag leaning against the wall on the floor.  _

_ Was that there before? I can’t remember. _

_ I head over to it, and Isei and Kinosuke follow me. Once I’m closer, I can tell what’s in here immediately. _

_ Cooking sherry, tequila, vodka, kahlua… This is all alcohol from the kitchen. The bottles are all jumbled together, thrown in without any real care, but they all seem to be as full as they were last time I saw them in the kitchen. _

**ISEI** : Oh, one fell out.

_ He takes a bottle of champagne out from behind the bag. _

**ISEI** : It’s empty.

_ Hmm. _

**KINOSUKE** : Noriko did say that she moved all of this down here. Do you think she brought the empty bottle down here too?

**SHUJI** : Hard to say, I guess. It’s possible that the killer drank some…?

**ISEI** : I don’t like that train of thought.

**SHUJI** : Eugh, me either.

[EVIDENCE GET: Miscellaneous Alcohol]

**[SELECT: Flower Petals]**

_ As we walk around the wine cellar, I can’t help but notice something crunching under my feet. When I look down, I see something I have to admit I didn’t expect to see in a crime scene. _

_ I crouch down (ouch, ouch) and pick one up. _

_ A rose petal. It’s dry, now, and the curling edges are what were crunching underfoot. _

_ I glance back at the champagne, and feel blood drain from my face. _

**SHUJI** : You don’t think that someone tried to meet her here...romantically, do you?

_ Isei grimaces at the thought of it. _

**ISEI** : I...hope not. The flower petals are pretty far from the body, though. And if they were placed here last night, they probably wouldn’t be quite as dried up...I hope.

**SHUJI** : [Sighs.] I miss Alena. She’d know stuff about how fast flower petals dry. I just really hope this isn’t some kinky sex thing. 

**KINOSUKE** : Maybe Aika died doing what she loved...making everyone else around her uncomfortable.

**SHUJI** : It does sound like her...but I still hope not.

**KINOSUKE** : Agreed.

_ Looking around the wine cellar, I can’t really see anything else out of place.  _

_ I head up the ladder (carefully, slowly, this hurts so much) to the 4th floor. There’s another place I know I want to check out. _

_ We head into the ballroom, and I make a beeline for the dumbwaiter.  _

[Switch] / [Dumbwaiter Door] / [Dumbwaiter Contents]

**[SELECT: Switch]**

_ First things first, I check out the switch. This one definitely isn’t broken, I note with satisfaction.  _

**SHUJI** : This means that you couldn’t summon the dumbwaiter from the cellar, but you could send it down there from here…

**KINOSUKE** : I’m glad this one isn’t broken. If the killer managed to break both of these while the dumbwaiter was en route, we might not be able to see either of them… Hmm, unless we forced open the doors and manually dragged it up.

**[SELECT: Dumbwaiter Door]**

_ I go to open the door, but I stop. On the frame of the door, there’s a very faint smear of...something. _

_ Blood? _

[EVIDENCE GET: Blood on Dumbwaiter Door]

**[SELECT: Dumbwaiter Contents]**

_ I open the door to the dumbwaiter. My hunch is immediately rewarded. _

_ Inside the dumbwaiter is a white cloth, similar to the one stuffed in Aika’s mouth and used to tie her up, wrapped around… _

_ I pick it up, and unwrap it. _

_ I nearly drop the object it was protecting. _

**ISEI** : Looks like the murder weapon…

_ A black handled knife, with blood all along the edge, sits in the white cloth. _

_ I’ve seen murder weapons before, and I haven’t had this reaction to one yet. My hands are trembling. I pass the bundle to Isei, who looks at my with concern. _

_ Why am I so freaked out? _

_ I look down at myself, taking deep breaths, and realize with a flash where I’ve seen that handle before. _

_ The last time I saw it, it was sticking out from my chest. _

**SHUJI** : That’s the...the knife…

**KINOSUKE** : It was likely used to kill Aika, given the blood on the edge…

**SHUJI** : That’s the knife that stabbed me.

_ Now Isei is the one who almost drops it. _

**SHUJI** : I think the...the blood on the door might be mine.

**ISEI** : Do you think...the same person who tried to kill you is the one who killed Aika?

_ I shrug, trying to keep some shaking. _

**SHUJI** : Maybe.

**KINOSUKE** : I guess it makes sense. If they couldn’t kill you, they’d probably try to target someone else if they were under pressure from the motive. Especially since it’s the same knife…

_ I shrug again. I’ve got to save this for the trial. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Murder Weapon]

**ISEI** : What’s up with this cloth, though? Is this connected to Shuji as well?

**KINOSUKE** : Do you remember anything about the person who stabbed you? You were stabbed from the front, so you should have seen them.

**SHUJI** : I…

_ I try to focus. _

_ Something...white… _

_ It seems like the image of a cartoon ghost, but that can’t be real. Maybe the pain was affecting my vision…? _

**SHUJI** : I remember something white...maybe.

**ISEI** : Maybe?

**SHUJI** : It really could have just been the pain messing with my vision. I’m not sure.

**KINOSUKE** : Hmm. Okay. Thanks for trying!

_ I reach toward the cloth, feeling it with my fingertips now that it’s not covered in dead girl drool. _

**SHUJI** : It’s really soft.

**ISEI** : Yeah, this has a high thread count.

**KINOSUKE** : It doesn’t seem like clothing…

_ It’s definitely been ripped and torn a few times, looking at it closely, and Isei is right about the thread count. Additionally, there’s more blood on this than it first appeared to when it was bundled up. There’s blood around the edges of sheared areas, but the majority of it seems to almost be a splatter onto it. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Bloody White Cloth]

_ I bite the inside of my cheek. _

**SHUJI** : If this is connected to...whoever stabbed me, I think we should check out the infirmary.

_ They both nod, and we head downstairs to where I started the day. _

_ When we arrive, it looks like we weren’t the only ones with the idea to check out the area. Heiji, Fumi, and Roxxy are all here attempting to investigate. Heiji looks thoroughly puzzled, Fumi looks simply exhausted, and Roxxy is doing her best to take pictures of everything with her phone without letting go of Fumi’s hand. _

_ When we enter, only Heiji looks up. Fumi seems dazed. _

_ He gives us a casual wave, and continues looking around. I guess we should do the same. _

[Cot] / [Trash] / [Sink] / [Fumi + Roxxy]

**[SELECT: Cot]**

_ I can’t help but be drawn to the cot I was lying on just this morning. There’s blood on it. Not a lot, certainly not a fatal amount, but it’s mine. My blood. _

_ I shiver despite the warmth of the room. _

_ Someone tried to kill me.  _

_ They almost succeeded. _

_ I step toward the cot, thinking about sitting down, when I see something crumpled up next to it; between the cot and the wall. I reach down and pick it up, uncrumpling it as I go. _

BIG MILKY.

_ Heiji’s shirt? What’s more, it’s covered in blood. _

**SHUJI** : Hey, Heiji? Buddy? This is not a good look for you.

_ I look over at him. He’s wearing his standard  _ BIG MILKY  _ shirt. He looks down at the shirt on his body, and the one in my hands, vaguely confused expression on his face until he slaps his forehead in realization. _

**HEIJI** : Right! That’s from when we found you yesterday.

**SHUJI** : Huh?

**HEIJI** : Well, I usually try to stay reasonably composed in a crisis, but I also sometimes panic and take my shirt off.

**SHUJI** : You...uh…

**ISEI** : He used it to try to stem the bleeding.

**HEIJI** : Yeah. What’d you think I meant, bro?

_ The mental image of Heiji seeing something bad happen and taking his shirt off as some kind of automatic response is somehow extremely realistic.  _

**SHUJI** : How did you find me? Nobody else was around when it happened, that I remember.

**HEIJI** : [Shrugs.] Fumi and Pure Virtual said Aika had wanted to see me, but they lost track of her, so Fumi said she had stuff she wanted to talk about with you. Since she’s doing the safety-in-numbers schtick she asked me and good ol’ Virtual to come with to hang out with you before the challenge.

_ A look of realization crosses his face. _

**HEIJI** : Hey!

**SHUJI** : What? Did you think of something important?

**HEIJI** : I forgot about the challenge! Aw, man. I guess that’s gonna be postponed, huh?

_ I close my eyes and take a deep breath. _

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I guess so. What did you do after you took your shirt off?

**HEIJI** : Oh, Fumi and I carried you in here, and told Aika to tell everyone what had happened. Shit...I think that was the last time I talked to her.

**KINOSUKE** : Oh, so you ended up finding Aika?

**HEIJI** : Yeah, she was already in here.

**ISEI** : Hmm...How did she react? 

**HEIJI** : She was terrified! It looked like she might cry when she saw Shuji, but I might be projecting cuz I was like seconds away from bawling but had to keep it together. PV told her to tell everyone, and she sprinted out of here.

**SHUJI** : She was...worried about me?

**HEIJI** : Yeah dude! She was super diligent about keeping watch on you, too.

**SHUJI** : Watch?

**KINOSUKE** : We kept watch on you, since we didn’t want whoever to try to take a second chance at your life. Two people each. 

**ISEI** : It’s true, she was really attentive. I had my watch with her.

**SHUJI** : Now that you mention it, I do remember her getting me a pillow, I think

**ISEI** : Right, it looked like you were regaining consciousness right when I was coming in.

_ Isei looks troubled about this, but doesn’t say anything else. _

**HEIJI** : From there, Fumi stitched you up and everyone yelled at The Fey until it agreed to help you out. Other than that, I don’t think I remember anything that happened after you got fucked up, you know?

**SHUJI** : Thanks, Heiji. This is a lot to think about.

**[SELECT: Trash]**

_ The trash is always a good place to search in times like these, or so TV has told me. But if the person who stabbed me was the same that killed Aika, it seems likely that they’d have been in here and maybe they left traces. _

_ I suppose I should have expected to find some dried blood in the trash; Kenichi’s nose was broken and bandaged just a few days ago, and I WAS stabbed, but the smears on the side of the trash can do not match my expectations at all.  _

_ I can see Kenichi’s old face bandages. I can see gauze that was probably used to stem my bleeding after Heiji’s shirt fell to the side. But I can’t really match those to the amount of blood in here. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Bloody Trash]

**[SELECT: Sink]**

_ Something catches my eye about the sink from across the infirmary, so I cross over to it. _

_ Where the stainless steel meets the counter, there’s a small crack. In that crack is dark red dried blood. In the sink itself, there are some vague smears of blood as well, that look pretty heavily watered down.  _

_ I point out the smears to Isei and Kinosuke, and Isei lets out a low whistle. _

**ISEI** : And you claimed you weren’t observant…

[EVIDENCE GET: Bloody Sink]

**[SELECT: Fumi + Roxxy]**

_ I catch Fumi and Roxxy’s attention just as they seem to be exiting the room. _

**FUMI** : H-hey. Shuji. Are you feeling okay?

**SHUJI** : I’m alive, I guess. 

**ROXXY** : Thanks to Fumi!

**SHUJI** : Seriously?

**ROXXY** : Yeah! She totally saved your entire life! 

**FUMI** : I...I did give you some stitches. Does it hurt?

_ I place my unbroken hand on my chest, where I was stabbed. _

**SHUJI** : Yeah. But my heart’s still beating, you know?

**FUMI** : Can’t say the same for Aika…

**ROXXY** : I totally think the same person who tried to shank you is the one who killed her! So we’ll get like, revenge for you too! I guess that’s morbid. I’m trying to stay positive, you know?

**SHUJI** : Yeah, I think it might be related too. Since you were the one who found me, I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about what happened yesterday. Maybe it’ll help?

**ROXXY** : Oh! That’s such a good point! Fumi, baby, are you okay to talk? 

_ Fumi nods mutely. _

**ROXXY** : She’s been really upset since yesterday. Your like, literal life was in her hands, and it was a lot. 

**FUMI** : Yesterday I...let’s see. We had breakfast, and I told everyone I was going to find you before the challenge. I wanted privacy but I also wanted to people to know where we were, for safety…

**SHUJI** : Right, you came to talk to me about...stuff.

_ Roxxy winks. _

**FUMI** : Yeah, stuff. Um. Pure Virtual came in, and said someone wanted to see me. As we went down stairs, they said that Aika was gonna try to convince me to join their team, and to keep an open mind or whatever. Heiji, PV, and I were supposed to meet her in the sitting room, but she wasn’t there.

**SHUJI** : That’s weird.

**FUMI** : Oh, she’d just gotten nervous and gotten a headache I think. She was in here when we--but I’m skipping ahead. Okay. So we tried to find her downstairs for a bit, but we ended up going upstairs and seeing you. You were on the floor, and I…

_ A fat tear rolls down her face. _

**ROXXY** : She and Heiji brought you in here. They saved your life.

**ISEI** : But Aika was already in here, right?

**FUMI** : Yeah. When things settled down a bit, and everyone was taking turns with you, I asked her about it. She said she’d run upstairs to try to get some painkillers for her headache, and was planning on heading right back downstairs to meet us. 

**SHUJI** : Oh, I guess that makes sense. 

**FUMI** : Especially after the...motive. She really tried to help us, you know? And she was still trying…

_ She closes her eyes tight, and Roxxy pulls her into a tight hug. _

[EVIDENCE GET: Fumi’s Testimony]

**ROXXY** : I think she needs a break before the trial, okay?

**KINOSUKE** : Hey, you’re taking pics of stuff right?

**ROXXY** : Yeah. I’m not like, the best at logical reasoning all the time, but I figure the pictures could be helpful…

**KINOSUKE** : We found the murder weapon in the dumbwaiter in the ballroom. Can you go take a picture of that?

**ROXXY** : Oh! You found it! I was wondering about that. I’ll run and get it. Fumi, baby, can I run?

**FUMI** : O-of course. I’ll be fine. I love you.

**ROXXY** : I love you MORE!

_ With that, she sprints off. _

_ I guess they decided not to keep things under wraps, after all. Then again, I can’t blame them for wanting to comfort each other during a time like this. _

_ Isei reaches out and touches my shoulder, squeezing it lightly. _

**ISEI** : Let’s head downstairs.

**SHUJI** : Is there somewhere else you can think of to check out?

**ISEI** : No, it’s just almost been an hour, and you’re moving slow. I wanna make sure we get to the trial on time.

_ I nod. _

**SHUJI** : Thanks.

_ Sure enough, as I’m hobbling down the stairs, the announcement goes off. _

**THE FEY** : TIme’s UP you little wiggly worms! Report to the courtroom IMMEDIATELY!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> Okay.
> 
> Only one person was not convinced that Shuji was dead, which surprised me a lot. I expected all of you to be holding knives to my throat demanding evidence that he was actually gone, but you all accepted it a lot faster than I'd planned. I put out the Interlude as something of a tease, but also to see if I could fool my one Too-Sharp Reader (he wasn't convinced, still, but it was a good gamble.)
> 
> So, shout out to J Carp! You clever bastard.
> 
> For everyone else, thank you for having so much faith that I can pull of extensive bullshit. After the rest of this chapter, I don't blame you for thinking I'd just gank the main character arbitrarily in chapter 4, but I'm still glad you're willing to buy into whatever schemes I've got.
> 
> Anyway! Who killed Aika? That's the more pressing question right now, isn't it? Find out in one week, on April 29th!


	42. Chapter Four: Phoenix (Trial)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's trial time babey!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't think of any content warnings that didn't also apply to the investigation chapter itself, cuz they just...they talk about all that. This one is still pretty gross, so if you're sensitive to that please proceed with caution!

_ A tense silence descends on all of us as we approach the courtroom. More people join our slow march toward death--someone’s death, anyway. I can’t look around and try to guess who did it. It’s getting harder and harder to believe that any of us are capable of murder, even as it’s demonstrated again and again. _

_ When we enter the trial room, I’m greeted with a familiar sight. _

_ 17 chairs, all in a circle.  _

_ Miki, Bo, Katherine, and Aika have all been replaced by props. _

_ Miki’s spot is occupied by a mechanical toy rat. _

_ Bo’s spot is occupied by one of those gacha plastic alien toys, whose head has been removed and replaced by a tiny doll head.  _

_ Katherine’s seat is filled with a cheap plastic halloween mask. It looks like some kind of swamp creature with lipstick painted onto it.  _

_ Aika’s chair has another halloween prop, some kind of witch you’d hang from ceiling, but swaddled in a red cape. _

**KINOSUKE:** Hey, uh, where am I supposed to sit?

**THE FEY:** [Blankly.] I could not care any less about you as a person or anything you do.

**KINOSUKE:** Fair enough. I guess I’ll take Kathy’s spot, since she took mine in here anyway.

**KYO:** Huh?

**KINOSUKE:** Oh, did I not mention? She’s reserve course. The Host must’ve taken her in place of me, since she wasn’t in our class.

**YUI:** [Counting on her fingers] I suppose, with Shuji, she accounts for the final mystery student.

**KINOSUKE:** See? This trial is gonna go great, we’re already solving mysteries.

_ Everyone else takes their seat. Kinosuke delicately places the mask on the back of the chair, above his head, and gets comfortable. _

_ I watch him carefully; I can’t help it. This is his first trial. This is the first death he’s seen. The others probably can’t tell from looking at him, but he’s going to collapse soon. His effort to be funny, friendly, silly… He can’t put it down, even now.  _

_ I wonder if he’s doing it to protect me. _

**KYO:** So...I guess it’s time to start.

**PV:** At least this one will be easy.

**YUI:** What do you mean by that?

**PV:** Noriko went down to the wine cellar and slit Aika’s throat to prove a fucking point about teams and rules.

**THE FEY:** God, I love it when you guys come out of the gate with something like this. Please go on.

**KENICHI:** Hey, what if we don’t just, I don’t know, jump into accusations?

**ROXXY:** Like, remember when it was “obvious” that Shuji killed Kenichi? So...

**FUMI:** I--I have a theory.

**HEIJI:** Everybody shut up so Fumi can say her theory!

**FUMI:** ...Thanks.

**KYO:** Nobody was even talking over her?

**FUMI:** I think that...whoever stabbed Shuji is the same person who killed Aika. 

**KINOSUKE:** There’s definitely too much in common between the two events for them to be totally unrelated.

**HEIJI:** Oh! Then this’ll be super easy, right? Shuji, who stabbed you?

_ All eyes turn to me. _

_ Panic laces through me for a moment. I never get used to being stared at so expectantly by so many people. _

**SHUJI:** I… I don’t remember. I’m sorry. I was pretty overwhelmed with the, uh, you know…

_ I definitely don’t want to tell people I think I’ve been stabbed by a ghost. _

**KINOSUKE:** I’ve never been stabbed, but I’m pretty sure if I was I’d probably also focus on the knife rather than the person. 

**ROXXY:** I just can’t believe someone tried to kill Shuji in like, broad daylight so to speak! How did they even know he’d be alone?

**YUI:** That’s a good point. I think we should try to solve this crime, and that’ll give us plenty of evidence to approach who killed Aika.

**KYO:** I also have to say I’m pretty curious as to who’d try to just, shank Shuji of all people.

**KENICHI:** Well, not to say that I did it or anything, but Shuji has been the one really pulling his weight in trials. If you wanted to kill and get away with it, Shuji has made himself a pretty prime target.

**NORIKO:** That may be why they targeted Aika as well. She had medical knowledge that has been helpful in solving these murders as well…

**ISEI:** So let’s start at the beginning. Who was the last person to see Shuji before he was stabbed?

_ I raise my eyebrows, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. He’s usually too afraid of speaking in front of crowds to take a lead in trials. Is he getting more bold, or just more comfortable with the group? _

**FUMI:** I was.

**ISEI:** What happened immediately before that?

**FUMI:** Um, I was at breakfast, I think. I told everyone that I was gonna go find Shuji, since I didn’t want to bring a group to see him--

**KENICHI:** Who did you tell?

**PV:** I was there. So were Kyo, Roxxy, Isei, and Aika.

_ The people who were there all nod. _

**ROXXY:** Yeah, I remember!

**FUMI:** So I went upstairs, and I found him in the library.

**NORIKO:** What were you seeking him out for?

**FUMI:** [Grimacing.] I uhh...wanted to talk...to him?

_ Noriko squints. _

**FUMI:** But we didn’t talk for long, cuz Pure Virtual came in.

_ Noriko turns her squint on PV. _

**YUI:** So after this point, Shuji was alone.

**SHUJI:** Yeah, but only for like a minute or two, tops.

**KYO:** Really? You were alone that briefly?

**SHUJI:** I left the library, heard someone clear their throat, and…

**KINOSUKE:** That was all she wrote, huh? So someone had to know that you were alone to book it like that, or else they’d be risking doing it in front of witnesses.

**ROXXY** : I don’t suppose you could like, identify someone based on a throat clear, right?

**SHUJI** : Probably not…

**ROXXY** : Yeah, I figured. Too bad, though, we could have just solved it if you could!

**KENICHI:** Pure Virtual, what did you need Fumi for? Why did you get Shuji alone?

**PV:** Aika asked me to. 

**YUI:** Really? It was Aika?

**PV:** It was about team stuff. She said she thought she could get Fumi to budge, since Heiji was on our team. She told me to get Fumi and bring her to the sitting room, so we could talk. She didn’t want to go herself, since she believed that nobody liked her.

**KINOSUKE:** I mean, I guess she was right. At least a little. Someone killed her.

**HEIJI:** Aika told me to meet her in the sitting room too, so can confirm! I didn’t know it was about team stuff, though.

**ROXXY:** Ugh! I can’t believe you guys, trying to snipe members of our team!!

**KENICHI:** Is that the kind of stuff you should be hung up on right now?

**KYO:** So all of you went to go meet Aika, and in that time someone snuck up behind Shuji and stabbed him, right? Maybe they were waiting around for him to be alone?

**NORIKO:** Impossible. My entire team is accounted for at the time of the stabbing. 

**PV:** I didn’t notice anyone follow him up the stairs when he went up initially; we were all still in the foyer at this point, and then we all went to breakfast.

**YUI:** Then every person is accounted for at the time of the stabbing. We must be missing something.

**ISEI:** Was everyone accounted for?

_ Was everyone accounted for? There’s something off about that... _

_ Oh, I remember! _

**SHUJI:** Aika!

**KENICHI:** I thought she was in the sitting room with Pure Virtual, Fumi, and Heiji.

**SHUJI:** Fumi, what happened when you went to meet Aika? Do you remember?

**FUMI:** Oh! She wasn’t there!

**PV:** It’s true, she wasn’t in the sitting room at all. 

**HEIJI:** We looked for her for a minute, but then when we went upstairs…

**FUMI:** Shuji was…

_ I don’t know why everyone is so resistant to just saying I got stabbed. The stab wound definitely hurts more than hearing the word ‘stab’... _

**ROXXY:** And that’s when Fumi saved Shuji’s life!!

**FUMI:** But Aika wasn’t totally unaccounted for! She was in the infirmary when we brought Shuji in.

**NORIKO:** What was she doing in there?

**FUMI:** She had a headache, and wanted to get something for it before meeting us! 

**NORIKO:** I wonder…

**KYO:** Don’t even think about it! Aika was nervous about meeting them, of course she’d get a headache!

**HEIJI:** Yeah, Aika was making a real effort to do better. 

**YUI:** She did volunteer her secret...or attempt to, in any case.

**KINOSUKE:** What happened next? You brought Shuji in, and then what?

**ROXXY** : She saved his life!!

**THE FEY:** As if! If anything, *I* saved his life! Or his rib did. 

**SHUJI:** It...hit my rib?

**THE FEY:** Yeah? Isn’t that what those are for? Wait, no. Don’t tell me what ribs are for. Human bodies are disgusting.

**KENICHI:** It’s true that we had to hassle The Fey into helping Shuji, but if it weren’t for Fumi’s actions, he could have bled out.

**HEIJI:** And I helped!

**KENICHI:** Your shirt did make an excellent makeshift bandage.

**HEIJI:** Hell yeah!

**KINOSUKE:** And then Aika came and gathered everyone, right? 

**ROXXY:** Yeah! She was like, sprinting to get everyone!

**NORIKO:** Shuji. Were you and Aika...friends? Were you close?

**SHUJI:** I...I guess? We weren’t besties or anything, but we talked sometimes.

**PV:** That’s more than a lot of people can say about her.

**KENICHI:** She liked Shuji. She liked to keep to herself, but she thought he was funny. Sincere. She thought that his...his whole vibe was weird and she wanted to study it, but that’s just Aika Speak for her wanting to spend time with him.

_ I didn’t know that… _

**ISEI:** So...if someone wanted to kill Shuji, stabbed him, but Shuji was saved by Fumi and Heiji…Hmm…

_ He touches his chin thoughtfully, eyes downcast. _

**SHUJI:** What is it?

**ISEI:** If I were a killer, I’d want to take that opportunity to try to kill you again. You were weak, barely conscious most of the time. It would have been really easy.

**NORIKO:** You’re right, except for the fact that we set shifts of doubles to keep an eye on him.

**KINOSUKE:** Other than the period where The Fey kicked us out for the night.

**PV:** Were there any other attempts on your life, Shuji?

**ROXXY:** He wouldn’t remember, right? He was asleep.

_ Is there anything I remember? _

_ I close my eyes and focus. I remember...people arguing. I remember the pain. I remember… _

**SHUJI:** Was there any moment where I was alone with one other person?

**NORIKO:** Of course not.

**PV:** I’m not sure that’s true. 

**HEIJI:** Oh shit… This one might be my bad.

**YUI:** But our shift schedule was so clearly set up. You were to get the next person for your shift while the others wait for the new person to clock in.

**HEIJI:** The thing is, there aren’t any bathrooms on that floor…

**FUMI:** What?

**HEIJI:** So in between my shift and the next one, I went to go to the bathroom...Which meant I was like, late…

**ISEI:** When I reported for one of my shifts, Aika was the only one in there.

**NORIKO:** That’s so...so...irresponsible! What happened to the other people on shift?

**KYO:** It was me and Kinosuke...We just...we figured Isei would be there in a second… We were tired.

**NORIKO:** I can’t believe this!

**PV:** Calm down, it’s not like anything happened in those, what, two minutes?

**KENICHI:** But why did you ask about this, Shuji? Did you remember something?

**SHUJI:** I remember Aika getting me a pillow, that’s all.

**ISEI:** That was right about when I came in, actually. I saw her standing above you with a pillow, and as soon as she noticed me she tucked it under your head.

**KYO:** That sounds…

**YUI:** Incredibly suspicious.

**ROXXY:** Um! Or she was just getting him a pillow! She was being supes helpful with the whole situation, and like, it’s not like she was washing a bloody knife or anything when they walked in on her, right?

_ Hmm… _

**FUMI:** Yeah! She didn’t have a knife at all!

_ Maybe not, but there is something here. _

**SHUJI:** Did you guys uh, wash anything in the sink while I was unconscious?

**PV:** I don’t think so.

**FUMI:** We didn’t reuse bandages or anything, so we just threw everything away when we were done.

**ISEI:** Hey, Roxxy? You took pictures of the knife, right?

_ She nods, and passes her phone to Isei, who passes it to me. _

**ISEI:** What do you think?

_ Inspecting it closer, it’s pretty much what I remember. A slim crust of blood on the edge of the knife, dried from attacking Aika, but…When I squint, I can see a patina on the knife itself. As if something had been on more of the blade, but was rinsed off imperfectly with water. _

**SHUJI:** Aika might not have washed the knife in the sink, but somebody definitely did.

**ROXXY:** No way!!

_ We pass the phone back to her, and she inspects it with a furrowed brow. _

_ When she’s done, she passes around her phone so everyone can see what I did. _

**YUI:** How do you know it was rinsed in the infirmary?

**SHUJI:** There was a little bit of blood in the sink. If none of you washed bandages or whatever in the sink, then it had to be the knife, right?

**NORIKO:** I can’t remember an opportunity anybody could have had to wash that knife while Shuji was unconscious.

**KENICHI:** ...Other than right before Heiji and Fumi entered the infirmary.

**HEIJI:** I’m not gonna just totally discredit this line of thought, but I do have a big question. Where would Aika hide a knife?

**KYO:** It’s true, girl doesn’t have pockets.

**ROXXY:** I don’t know about the rest of you guys but I feel like I’d notice Aika holding a big ol’ knife when she came running to get me, right?

_ They’re right. How could Aika have hidden the knife? _

_ I feel like I know something that could answer that question… _

**SHUJI:** Classic Aika…

**ISEI:** Do you have something?

**SHUJI:** If Aika had to hide anything anywhere, where do you bet it’d be? Like, disregarding the circumstances.

**KINOSUKE:** I...are you asking me to make a joke? I can totally make a joke, but it feels like it’s in bad taste.

**SHUJI:** Please. It’s actually relevant. 

**KINOSUKE:** Up her skirt, duh. She’d like, announce that she was winking if anyone tried to search her.

**YUI:** I don’t see how this is on topic.

**ISEI:** He’s saying it was up her skirt.

**SHUJI:** Her tights had a puncture hole in them, and I think it’s from putting the knife in the waistband of her tights. The sharp tip of the knife would have made a hole in the nylon, and that could account for it.

**NORIKO:** How do you know the hole wasn’t from being cut by the culprit?

**SHUJI:** I guess I don’t for sure, but every other cut in her tights had a cut in her skin associated with it. This was also more of a poke, less of a slice…

**ROXXY:** But that would be super uncomfortable to run with! She’d stab her thigh, like every time she took a big step!

**PV:** Unless she stashed it somewhere else.

**ISEI:** There was blood nearby the dumbwaiter in the ballroom…

**SHUJI:** It’s also a place people aren’t likely to check, and not far from the infirmary. If she went there first, and hid the knife, then she could run as much as she wanted.

**FUMI:** Wait! I still don’t understand. Shuji lost a lot of blood, right? But Aika was totally clean! And those white sleeves…

**KENICHI:** They stained easily, as we saw at the crime scene. 

**FUMI:** So it couldn’t have been her!

**KYO:** Unless she had a way to cover herself, right? 

**ROXXY:** Oh! Maybe an apron from the kitchen?

**KINOSUKE:** The aprons wouldn’t cover your arms, though.

**PV:** Hmm… Perhaps the way to keep blood off of her was the same way she hoped to evade being seen by Shuji. 

**HEIJI:** I thought she avoided being seen by Shuji by uhh stabbing him…

**YUI:** It’s obvious that whoever stabbed Shuji, Aika or not, clearly wasn’t used to violence. They tried to stab his chest, hit bone, and fled. If our attempted murderer is, in fact, Aika, she’s the type of person to hedge her bets. As it stands, she likely tried to kill Shuji a second time, as if she anticipated being unsuccessful the first time.

**NORIKO:** So if Shuji had been able to remember who stabbed him, he’d immediately let everyone know. He has little time for attempted murders…

_ Everyone rather deliberately doesn’t look at Kenichi. _

**PV:** Which means she may have disguised herself in some way to avoid that.

_ A disguise... _

**HEIJI:** Ohh, and the disguise caught all the blood! But… [Disappointed.] I didn’t find any disguises.

**KINOSUKE:** Whatever she used, it had to have been covered in blood.

**KENICHI:** Mm… Frustrating. The crime scene was soaked in blood. If there was anything hidden among all of that, we’d miss it.

_ I think for a moment. Did I see anything out of place covered in blood? _

_ Besides Aika’s corpse, obviously. _

**PV:** The infirmary had a lot of blood in it, too. 

**HEIJI:** Yeah, and the trash can was soaked.

_ Wait a minute… _

**KYO:** Oh? Was there anything like a disguise in there?

**FUMI:** No, only bandages. Most of them from Shuji, but under that was just from when Kenichi broke his nose.

**KINOSUKE:** It’s kinda funny that you phrase it like he ran into a wall or something.

**FUMI:** Fine. From when Shuji broke Kenichi’s nose. Happy?

**KENICHI:** It’s fine.

_ I think I’ve got it! _

**SHUJI:** The ghost!

**KYO:** The huh?

**YUI:** Not another topic change…

**PV:** Come on, Shuji, we need to stay on topic.

**SHUJI:** No, I mean--I think I saw the disguise. I think I did see the person who stabbed me.

**HEIJI:** What? Then who was it?

**SHUJI:** I couldn’t see their face, because it was covered. Covered by something that made her look like a ghost!

**KINOSUKE:** You mentioned seeing white, like a person wrapped in a sheet!

**SHUJI:** And I think we found that sheet!

**ISEI:** ...In the dumbwaiter, right?

_ He smiles at me, as if he’s proud of me for putting it together. _

**SHUJI:** The fabric wrapping the murder weapon. You saw it too, right?

**ROXXY:** Oh yeah! It was super gross! I figured it had just been at Aika’s murder scene, though, right? Like, since it was the knife…

**ISEI:** The blood on that cloth was definitely more of a splatter than being soaked, like everything else at the body was. 

**NORIKO:** But how did Aika get it into the dumbwaiter from the infirmary without anyone noticing?

**SHUJI:** I don’t think she’s the one who put it there… Or if she did, she did it after everyone was gone. I think she put it in the trash can in the infirmary.

**KYO:** Oh! That would explain how bloody it was, right? 

**KINOSUKE:** But the cloth we found in the dumbwaiter was way too small to cover a person.

_ He’s right. I have to focus. _

_ I feel like I saw that pieces of cloth all over the place...but what if…? _

**SHUJI:** What if it was cut? Aika was tied up, and there was something in her mouth, too. What if all of that is from the same cloth?

_ He nods slowly, looking satisfied with my line of reasoning. _

**ROXXY:** It was like, pretty frayed in the dumbwaiter…

**ISEI:** That would explain why the cloth in her mouth had holes cut in it, as well. If those were eye holes, and the disguise was used to gag her...

**KENICHI:** So that’s two things now that were taken from Shuji’s crime scene, found related to Aika’s. The fabric Aika used to disguise herself was made into her binding, and the knife used to stab Shuji was used to cut her.

**NORIKO:** But if the person who attempted to murder Shuji was Aika, we still don’t know who killed her.

**YUI:** Suicide does seem impractical based on how we found her.

**FUMI:** I guess we’re back at square one…

**KYO:** Let’s try to take it from the top. This time we’ll focus on Aika.

**NORIKO:** I found her in the wine cellar not long after the morning announcement.

**KENICHI:** What were you doing down there, anyway? 

**PV:** Right, I thought your team called it off limits.

**NORIKO:** I patrol through the entire manor evening and morning; right before the morning announcement and right after the night announcement.

**KYO:** Hey, I thought you guys weren’t allowed out at night! 

**PV:** And you’re supposed to be in groups! Why do you think you’re such an exception to your own rules?!

**NORIKO:** [Calmly.] It’s the duty of the leader. I was granted permission by the rest of my team to do things like this to ensure everyone’s safety.

**PV:** Real smart, trusting a murderer as your leader. Now Aika’s dead. I wonder how that happened.

**FUMI:** That’s what we’re here to find out!

**ROXXY:** Sweetie, they were being sarcastic.

**FUMI:** I KNOW! And I think it’s dumb! We should just solve this murder and you can get to being mean to each other once we’re done!

**YUI:** I agree. I believe it’s worth mentioning that our team has no reason to go into the wine cellar, as it is, as stated off limits for us. As far as I know, only Pure Virtual’s team would willingly go down there. I believe that should narrow things down.

**KYO:** That’s totally unfair!

**ISEI:** It’s true, though. You guys had permission to be down there, and we didn’t.

**HEIJI:** But, I mean, none of us killed her, so…

**NORIKO:** That remains to be seen.

**SHUJI:** Let’s just… Stay on topic. We’ll narrow it down to PV’s team for now, and see where that gets us. 

**KENICHI:** It was probably someone Aika was close to, to get her to come down to the cellar anyway.

**HEIJI:** Did anybody else see the rose petals?

**KYO:** And empty bottle of champagne…

**KENICHI:** So it could have been a romantic trick.

**YUI:** Weren’t you the closest with her, Kenichi? It seems as if you’re simply incriminating yourself.

**KINOSUKE:** Was nobody else here when Aika slapped the shit out of him? I don’t think she’s the wine and candles type, either.

**ROXXY:** Wine and… Candles…

**FUMI:** Oh nooo…

**NORIKO:** Fumi? Roxxy? Do you have something to say?

**FUMI:** We...uh... 

**ROXXY:** We may have broken a rule…

**YUI:** What are you saying?

**FUMI:** The roses and the champagne was us…

**HEIJI:** Haha, what?

**ROXXY:** It was my fault! I wanted--

**FUMI:** No, we wanted. It was both of us.

**ROXXY:** I set things up to have a romantic, private vibe, so that was the rose petals and...and we drank champagne cuz like, the wine was gross actually, but Noriko had just moved all that junk down there so we tried the champagne and it was really good! So we drank it! And it was really fun and magical and beautiful and I stand by it!

**NORIKO:** But we all agreed these rules were to protect everyone!

**ROXXY:** I…

**FUMI:** It’s okay, say it.

**ROXXY:** I always thought the rules were too restrictive and dumb!!

**NORIKO:** But… You never said anything…

**ROXXY:** I didn’t want to hurt your feelings! You were all jiving on the leadership mojo and I was so happy for you!

**YUI:** This is a disaster…

**KENICHI:** You did all this last night?

**FUMI:** Night before last. We just...forgot in all the excitement. That’s what I was telling Shuji about when Pure Virtual came to get me…

**KYO:** Well, this does clear up one thing! PV’s team is no longer automatically guilty!

**PV:** It’s true, this does demonstrate that your own people will break your rules.

**KINOSUKE:** You know, Noriko was pretty quick to say it couldn’t possibly be anyone on her team. Plus, wasn’t she immediately accusing PV? Seems a bit hasty, you know?

**HEIJI:** Noriko, do you want our team to look bad?

**KENICHI:** Could be deflecting…

**PV:** It certainly doesn’t make her look good.

**YUI:** She wouldn’t kill anyone. This whole line of thought is ridiculous.

**ROXXY:** I… I mean, she has sorta...you know...killed before?

**YUI:** Roxxy. How could you?

**ROXXY:** I’m sorry! I just mean, like, she’s also the one with all of the sharp stuff in her room, so…

**NORIKO:** Wait, that’s not--

**PV:** SHE DOES?!

**ISEI:** We voted to remove most dangerous objects from public spaces, including the infirmary and the kitchen. That meant knives, poisons, et cetera.

**PV:** I can’t believe this! You killed Aika!

**NORIKO:** I saw you talking to her just last night!

**PV:** She’s on my team! Of course I talked to her!

**SHUJI:** Hey! Shut up! I want to hear this, okay? Bickering isn’t going to solve this faster.

**NORIKO:** I saw Pure Virtual after the night time announcement last night, speaking in confidence to Aika. They looked upset, and both of them were standing fairly close together.

**YUI:** Conspiring, no doubt.

**PV:** If I may speak?

**SHUJI:** Yeah, go ahead.

**PV:** Aika was distraught about her lab being destroyed. I was attempting to comfort her, but since Noriko was glaring at us, I counselled that we both get rest and speak about this in the morning.

**NORIKO:** There’s no evidence that that’s what you said!

**KYO:** There’s no evidence that you didn’t just bring this up to get the heat off of your back! You’re deflecting!

**KENICHI:** You do spend a lot of time on your own, after all, Noriko. Since you patrol solo, nobody can guarantee your whereabouts.

**KINOSUKE:** Hey, speaking of those patrols… Can we talk about the time of death?

**HEIJI:** It was first thing in the morning, right?

**FUMI:** It was literally as Noriko discovered her…

**ROXXY:** Yeah, like, what’s up with that?

**ISEI:** I think we should try to figure out the timeline of Aika’s murder.

**HEIJI:** Smart, bro!

**SHUJI:** Alright. So, Aika stabs me. Then what?

**KYO:** She ditches the disguise in the trash can, hides the knife in the dumbwaiter, and then…

**NORIKO:** She gets away with it.

**PV:** Almost.

**KINOSUKE:** Right, she almost gets away with it...but not quite! Someone must have found that disguise and the knife!

**YUI:** So someone solved the mystery of who stabbed Shuji and...wanted to enact revenge?

**KENICHI:** It seems possible.

**ROXXY:** Wow! It took us this long just to figure out that it was Aika, how long did it take the murderer?

**FUMI:** That means...It was someone smart.

**ISEI:** Does that rule anyone out?

**SHUJI:** I’m not sure…

**PV:** Let’s keep going.

**NORIKO:** Whoever figured out it was Aika managed to lure her into the wine cellar, tie her up using her own disguise…

**HEIJI:** Not to mention gagging her. Yuck.

**YUI:** And then tortured her.

_ An uncomfortable silence falls over the group. I know, logically, that Aika tortured people. Everyone knows that now, due to her talent. But was this some kind of revenge for that, as well as what happened to me? Or was it random? Was it not in connection to Aika’s past at all? _

**FUMI:** They had to have cut her so many times…

**ROXXY:** Was all of it done in the morning? Or like, super late at night? I’m still not getting the timeline.

_ Do I have anything that would help me figure out when this all started?  _

_ Maybe… _

**SHUJI:** I don’t know a lot about cuts, but… It seemed to me like some of the cuts were older than others. That puddle beneath her feet…

**ROXXY:** [Gasps] You’re right! It was only partially wet! There was loads of dried blood on her…

**FUMI:** I… Have a horrible thing to suggest…

**HEIJI:** What is it?

**FUMI:** The cuts were over such a long period of time, but none of them were like, her neck or anything. They were just her arms and legs. If they...if they tortured her over a long time, she could have just bled out from all of those… So… What if it was an accident?

**NORIKO:** You can’t torture someone on accident.

**KYO:** But Aika was the only one who had enough medical knowledge to guess how much blood someone could lose. And she was gagged.

**YUI:** You’re right. I couldn’t tell you where all my arteries are, or how much I could bleed from them before I died.

**KENICHI:** Which means they could have slipped up, cut somewhere they shouldn’t have, and Aika wouldn’t be able to tell them. It could easily be an accidental death.

**PV:** [Shocked.] Oh my God…

**HEIJI:** So she died just when Noriko found her from blood loss just because she’d been bleeding for who knows how long?

**KINOSUKE:** Well if it was an accident, and she had been bleeding for a long time, which the evidence supports, then Noriko being the killer seems pretty unlikely.

**FUMI:** [Covering her mouth] The torture must have gone on all night…

**ROXXY:** The killer could have like, left her there at pretty much any point!

**SHUJI:** I disagree.

**ISEI:** Why?

**SHUJI:** We uh. We looked up her skirt, remember?

**FUMI:** You didn’t!

**KINOSUKE:** It was for evidence! There was a ton of blood, still wet, coming from a specific place!

**SHUJI:** I think the killer accidentally cut an artery, and arteries bleed a lot more than anywhere else. If that’s the killing blow, which I think it is, then it happened not too long before Noriko found her.

**NORIKO:** Pure Virtual…

**PV:** What? Why me again?

**NORIKO:** I saw you out with Aika! You easily could have lured her there and done your dastardly--

**PV:** You are ridiculous! You claim to be vigilantly watching everyone, but nobody keeps an eye on you! You could do anything, totally unsupervised!

**NORIKO:** We only have your word--

**PV:** I went to sleep after that conversation! How do I know you didn’t lead Aika down there? She’s always been into you, it would be easy for you.

**SHUJI:** ENOUGH!

**YUI:** It’s your word versus theirs, Noriko. We need to approach this from another angle.

**ISEI:** Is there any physical evidence we can draw upon here?

**KYO:** What constitutes physical evidence?

**KINOSUKE:** Like, fingerprints! Or bloody clothes! Something irrefutable!

**ROXXY:** Oh! Oh! I did it! I solved it!

**FUMI:** What is it? Who did it?

**ROXXY:** Okay, well, so. I’ve got this. You know how there were footprints in the cellar? Right? Right? I took a picture of them! Someone’s gotta have a matching shoe size!

**YUI:** I’m sure many people walked through the puddle; that could belong to any of us.

**KYO:** No way, nobody was stepping in that!

**ROXXY:** Plus! In the picture, the footprints are totally dry!

**PV:** How are we going to be able to tell the shoe size from the image?

**ROXXY:** My foot’s next to it! We just compare!

**KENICHI:** This isn’t the most scientific approach…

**HEIJI:** You got any better ideas?

_ Kenichi ponders for a moment, and shrugs. Roxxy stands up in the center of our circle of chairs and beckons other to stand next to her, checking against the picture on her phone. _

**THE FEY:** This is a little unorthodox.

**KINOSUKE:** Shut the fuck up.

**THE FEY:** Your parents don’t love you!

**KINOSUKE:** DID I ASK?

_ The Fey cackles, but lets us continue. _

_ We line up, one by one, and place our feet next to Roxxy’s. We’re all given the opportunity to check the picture; whoever’s foot it is, is at least one size larger than Roxxy’s. Mine is several sizes larger, clearing me, and I head back to my seat. _

_ Roxxy makes musing sounds as each person stands next to her. _

**KYO:** Well?

**ROXXY:** I need to see everyone’s first!

_ The line continues. Finally, everyone has had their foot measured against Roxxy’s glittering boot. She takes a seat at last, squinting at her phone and at all of us. _

**ROXXY:** I think… I’ve got it.

**HEIJI:** The suspense is killing me…

**THE FEY:** Well, it’ll kill someone soon. Hurry things up!

**ROXXY:** I…

_ She looks at the image on her phone, almost scowling. _

**ROXXY:** So, there’s like, a few people who have similarly sized feet.

**PV:** This isn’t Cinderella, after all.

**ROXXY:** But I think I can narrow it down… Kyo, Isei, and PV are all about the--

**KYO:** Well it’s totally not me!

**ROXXY:** God, just let me finish! It’s the shape of the footprint, too! It’s not like, loafers or whatever Kyo is wearing. And Isei’s got flat sneakers, so… This is way more heeled, but not like, heeled like my shoes!

_ Who has shoes like she’s describing? _

**[SELECT: 「Pure Virtual」]**

**SHUJI:** Cowboy boots.

_ Everyone’s eyes are locked on PV’s shoes. They’re so dumb. Who wears cowboy boots?  _

**PV:** I--no! There’s no way. I went to bed right after Noriko saw me!

**NORIKO:** What’s the saying? ‘If the shoe fits…’

**PV:** You’re going to execute me based off of a smear on the floor? This is ridiculous. This is my LIFE you’re gambling with. You cannot be comfortable sending me to my death based off of something as silly as this!

**FUMI:** They’re right...this is fairly small. Is there anything else?

_ It’s true, this isn’t a lot to go on. But things are starting to shape up like they might be the one. _

_ If we just have something else to prove that they could have been the one to do it… _

_ I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. _

**KINOSUKE:** Jeez, does Shuji need to be the one doing all of this? He did just get stabbed, like, less than 24 hours ago…

**ISEI:** Let him think.

_ I think back to yesterday, going over anything I could have missed.  _

_ Aika’s secret wasn’t good enough, so she was going to be punished. She was going to have her life’s work destroyed. I guess that’s when she started to think about killing me… But she was shaking. She was trembling, and PV went to comfort her.  _

_ There’s something wrong about this. _

_ Something about PV… _

**SHUJI:** Your hair…

**PV:** What?

**SHUJI:** Hey, when did PV show up at the crime scene this morning?

**NORIKO:** It couldn’t have been later than 7:10.

**KYO:** They were at the secret wheel in the morning at the same time as everyone else, though.

**SHUJI:** It takes them a really long time to fix their hair, right?

**HEIJI:** Yeah! It’s not naturally a triangle!

**SHUJI:** So if you really went to bed last night, and did your normal routine of letting your hair down to sleep, it would have been down when you showed up in the morning.

**PV:** I don’t--I don’t know what you’re--

**SHUJI** : But if you stayed up late doing something...say, torturing Aika because she made your team look bad since she tried to kill me… And didn’t get back until almost morning, you wouldn’t have had time to take it down and then put it up again.

**PV:** I--I--I--

_ They stall, stuttering over their words like I’ve never seen from them before. For a moment, their eyes meet mine, and it’s like I see a crack in everything I’ve ever known about them. The artsy fog that they’ve always surrounded themself in falls. There’s no vocabulary, no music, no pretense.  _

_ It all falls apart. _

_ In the place of all of that is just an 18 year old French kid in a silly outfit. _

**PV:** I didn’t mean to.

_ They slouch in their chair, placing their elbows on their knees and leaning forward. _

**NORIKO:** It WAS you!

**PV:** Don’t...don’t do all of that. Okay? I’m confessing.

**KENICHI:** Why?

**PV:** It wasn’t...on purpose. I didn’t mean to--

**KENICHI:** Why are you confessing? This evidence is still...you could have kept fighting.

**PV:** I didn’t want to kill anyone.

**THE FEY:** Well I do!! It’s time to vote, everyone. Though this sad sack is trying to make it easy for you...tch. Don’t any of you understand how compelling voting on shoestring evidence can be? Typical.

_ We turn our attention away from PV for just a moment. We have to vote for them. For once, this isn’t even a difficult decision to make. They tortured Aika to death. They admitted it. _

_ Nobody deserves execution, but… _

_ The shitty victory music plays. We got it right, I guess. Everyone voted correctly, even PV. They don’t look up when our eyes turn back to them. _

**FUMI:** Why lie to us? When you realized...Why not confess then?

**PV:** I didn’t realize until a minute or two ago that I was...That I killed her. And even then I didn’t want to admit it. Not to you, not to myself. 

**ROXXY:** Ugh! This makes no sense! HOW could you not know you KILLED someone?!

**SHUJI:** Let’s just let them explain, okay?

**PV:** Shuji… Thank you. 

_ They take a deep breath. They seem so...plain. Somewhere underneath all of the makeup and bravado is just a neutral expression. They look tired. _

**PV:** It’s as you said. I figured out Aika had tried to kill you. I was furious. She was… She was on my team, you know? I trusted her! Despite everything, despite the torture confession, despite everything, I was trying to give her a chance. But she betrayed that, betrayed you.

**SHUJI:** Me?

**PV:** You were always so patient! With me, with her, with Kenichi… Always giving people chances! It was stupid! And she took advantage of that! But, no. It was selfish. It was about me. I found the sheet in the trash, and put it in the dumbwaiter with the knife.

**NORIKO:** How did she even get the knife?

**PV:** I don’t know. I’d guess she’d pocketed it a long time ago, maybe for self defense.

**SHUJI:** She had said she was worried about being killed…

**PV:** That night, when you saw me, I was telling her that I was worried. I told her I had issues being vulnerable. I told her I wanted to try to create a strategy for the team, and that she was the smartest person on the team. I think she responded to the ego stroke more than anything. So I told her to meet me in the wine cellar, so we wouldn’t be interrupted.

**YUI:** How did you tie her up? She had to have known something was wrong.

**KENICHI:** You never knew her very well, did you?

**YUI:** What?

**PV:** Yeah. It was easy. I had cut up the sheet earlier, into stripes so I could… I just grabbed her wrist and started tying her up. She laughed. Even when I broke the knife out, she was making those stupid jokes…

_ I try to imagine the types of things Aika would say upon being tied up and threatened with a knife.  _

**PV:** She was being gross, even as I cut her. I was trying to… I was going to teach her a lesson. About hurting people. About stabbing. I figured I’d just, hurt her the way she hurt others and she’d learn, you know? But she was being so gross… So I gagged her.

_ Thinking of the jokes she’d make, even under panic… _

_ Yeah, I can see that. _

_ The gag makes sense. _

**PV:** If I hadn’t, she wouldn’t have… But I left her there. I’d collect her in the morning, and she’d confess her crime, and that would be that. When Noriko raised the alarm, I assumed Noriko had seen her… like that. Tied up. And had finished the job. I thought she did it to hurt me.

**NORIKO:** You thought I would kill a bystander to hurt you?

**ROXXY:** God! That’s your whole problem! Everything is always about you! Aika didn’t stab anyone to make YOU feel bad! She didn’t die out of SPITE!

**PV:** I know that NOW!

**THE FEY:** Too bad! So sad! I guess some lessons really CAN be learned too late!

**PV:** I wanted to say, before I--

_ But before they can finish, the metal claw grabs them. _

_ As they’re dragged away, they manage one last thing. _

**PV:** I’M SORRY!

[ Let Them Eat Cake ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozAswe6R0ts)

_ The screen flickers to life, and I can see what appears to be a set built like Paris sometime in the 1700s. There’s a makeshift wooden stage in the center of the scene; but what’s on top of the stage is obscured by the cartoonishly jeering cardboard cutouts in place of a crowd. They’re dressed like peasants, and there are robotic arms equipped with baskets of fruit. _

_ The Fey appears, and the crowd starts to get riled up. She preens like a bird on display, and the crowd parts for her. As the crowd parts, I can see what fate they have in mind for my friend. A guillotine; giant, grey, and foreboding rests on the stage. The blade shines menacingly. _

_ Dragged behind her, in manacles, is 「Pure Virtual」. They keep apace with the manic fairy as best they can, resisting the drag of the manacles with a straight back and a neutral expression. The crowd’s robot arms begin to toss ripe fruit at them. Tomatoes splatter against their clothes and their face, but they do not flinch. _

_ They see what lies before them, and their expression flickers; but then it’s gone. Whatever they felt is buried under their veneer of dignity. They march up to the stage and they kneel before the guillotine with the same neutral, almost haughty, expression on their face. _

_ The blade gleams, and The Fey pauses before pulling the rope that will end their life. _

_ The screen shakes during this hesitation, and PV’s brows knit in confusion as if they can hear something that we cannot. They look up, and their neutral expression transitions to pure bafflement and then to just shock as a shadow grows larger and larger. _

_ Something is falling. _

_ Before I can really register that; it falls. _

_ A vending machine, bright pink and very friendly, drops directly onto them. Its contents seem to be entirely CD cases, each and every one of them with a different artistically rendered image of 「Pure Virtual」 grinning playfully for the camera. _

_ The crowd of cut outs rushes the stage, fervently grasping at the CDs within the vending machine, their golden coins scattering in their haste to buy the music. The stage trembles beneath their weight, but just as quickly as they came, they’re gone. _

_ The guillotine is in splinters, and a puddle of blood begins to spread from beneath it. _

_ The Fey shrugs at this result, and hangs a sign on the vending machine: _

_ SOLD OUT. _

「Pure Virtual」, the Super High School Level Vaporwave Artist, is dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP
> 
> I don't know how many of you will miss PV, but I certainly will. They've always been such a fascinating character to get in the head of, someone really trying to do good and so often missing the entire mark because they were raised to have SUCH self importance...
> 
> I don't know, I guess I think the question "is trying hard ever enough?" is a question worth asking, morally speaking.
> 
> Anyway, we're back to a two week schedule. Next update will be on May 13th with an interlude, and after that we'll be getting into chapter 5. Only two chapters left, people! Isn't that incredible?
> 
> If you have thoughts, comments, angry rants, nitpicks, or anything else you'd like to say to me, please consider leaving a comment or joining the discord (link in summary) to talk to me directly! Any feedback is treasured, honestly.
> 
> See you in two weeks!


End file.
